Sam Carter/Amanda Tapping Discussion/Appreciation

[KatG]

OK, I was watching It's Good to Be King last night and I noticed something. When SG1 was searching the puddle jumper, Sam was clearly in command mode. Although she would have loved finding Ancient technology whatever new technology it was for her, she put SG1's safety first and told them to quit before it was too late. We know that they finally found the puddle jumper and then, when Jack came, Sam went instantly back into scientist mode and refused to blow the ship up until Jack made it an order. So, I was wondering if being in charge isn't too painful for Sam and her love for science. I noticed she was much more relaxed when she went back to scientist!Sam. We all love Sam in charge, but does she love being in charge ? She has the experience and the ability to be in charge. She's a good leader, but is she comfortable with it ?

I tend to agree. I think Sam has the ability to be a good leader. When it's necessary, she's perfectly capable of taking control and making the tough decisions. But I don't necessarily think that she's comfortable with it.

I've always seen her as first and foremost a scientist. It's what she loves and what energizes her, what fuels her passion. It's what she's the best at. Which is why I really didn't have a problem with the idea of her heading R&D at Area 51, other than the fact that we didn't get to see her. 8)

[Mandysg1]

would you rather have sam --

a - lead sg1

b - lead the sgc (in the future)

c - be 2IC of the sgc (now)

d - command the beta site

e - command another team

f - ?




sally

I'd have to go with a) as stated before being in charge of the sgc means staying on base, when all the action should be off world. I didn't like S8 and how many episodes they spent on base. It was a waste of showing Sam's leading abitities.

Oh, and I have to agree about It's Good to be King. Sam was a kick-a$$ leader in that one

[ShimmeringStar]

*rubs hands gleefully*

Oh thank you minigeek… a discussion topic… wheeeeeeee!

I’m in agreement with many who’ve posted their thoughts. I think in any non-alien (i.e., non-Martouf/Jolinar-we’ve-implanted-you-with-our-life-and-romantic-history kind of thing) early Sam was tentative and wanted to know how they felt about things before she opened up so as to not risk getting hurt deeply. And I think she is different now, as in she knows what she wants, but she has to work on the delivery. (*coughs* like how the writers wrote her in Threads) (But old habits die hard… I still think probably still would want to have a really clear idea before she bared her heart and soul, even if her bio clock is saying ‘tick tock Sammie….”)

Besides the battles (intellectually, professionally, and on a personal level) that she must have had at the Academy and later at the Pentagon, she came over to the SGC only find Jonas Hansen was there and then that ship backfired on her, on the job no less, as Hansen went all ‘god’ on them. So she had to deal with proving to the others that her current and past ships wouldn’t interfere with her performance, in addition to demonstrating her science and military skills. Little wonder she’d hold men at arms length. Then against her will, she had all of Jolinar’s memories thrust on her. And that time she couldn’t just block out the memories, she had no control of what she remembered or when for a long while. More holding off men at arms length….

And then there was that undercurrent with Jack that came to a head through the end of S3 and beginning of S4. But even then, when Jack gave her opportunity to talk about it, she shut the door. Maybe she still hadn’t grown enough. Maybe her life still seemed to stretch out in front of her forever. Maybe enough life-and-death experiences hadn’t happened to her to make her realize that she had to seize the moment while she could, because the same opportunities would never present themselves again?

I think her romantic ships with men were the one area in her life where she wasn’t as open, compassionate, and giving as she was when it came to others – friends, children, collegues, aliens… Perhaps because she knew the potential destructive force those ships could have on her life and career? (*coughs* for someone so controlled and disciplined, *grins* maybe she knew men was the one area in her life where she just might go wild if she succumbed to temptation??? )

Great posts everyone.

[Skydiver]

i think a lot of why sam wouldn't talk to jack is because she was afraid.

jack's a very passionate person, who can also carry a grudge like noboby's business. if they'd have shacked up adn it didn't work, the team would be gone cause i don't think jack would ever get over it.

i think, for s4 and 5 sam settled into clutching onto what was comfortable and 'safe'

she'd rather have him as a friend forever than risk losing him (Or the other boys too, just wasn't quite as much going on with them)

[Mandysg1]

It's okay Cassie, I don't think we'll be on pg 2 for long

[Strix varia]

As someone who lives in her head... a rational, logical and scientific being, I think Sam probably has a hard time dealing with emotions. Emotions are anti-logic. There are no mathmatical proofs for love and hate, and yet their power in shaping our existence is undeniable. But it's not like you can build a circuit with capacitors and on/off switches to control them. And I think they probably give her problems because of that.

We've seen several instances where Sam's brain reacted to the situation first... A Matter of Time comes to mind... she was initially so fascinated by the black hole that she didn't stop to consider the people who were being killed by it. But once that fact was pointed out to her, she was horrified. So I think that many times, Sam thinks first, then feels second.

After her mother died, her emotional models were her father (mister tough-guy military) and her brother, who was also male. Once she got into the Academy, she would know as well as any other woman in a male dominated field that readily showing emotions (particularly things like crying and anger) would be interpreted as feminine weakness (or *****y-ness, in the case of anger). So I have no doubt she would try to suppress them in order to avoid being judged as weak or emotional.

That being said, I think Sam failed frequently to do so... She is too compassionate and empathetic to succeed in repressing her emotions completely, particularly when people she cares about are concerned, and we have seen that throughout the series. AT does a brilliant job of showing Sam trying to hold it all together, and yet failing miserably. At least, that's how I interpreted many of those scenes. Conflicted. So I wouldn't say that Sam wears her heart on her sleeve. I would say that Sam tries NOT to wear her heart on her sleeve. She just doesn't always succeed.

As for her love life... I would think she's very uncomfortable with the whole emotional shebang. Insecure. Closed off. Afraid of getting hurt. Unsure of how to proceed. Pete was a huge step for her. But good, as well, because maybe it allowed her to explore her emotional side with a guy who was really pretty safe and wasn't likely to hurt her (and sorry, I don't buy those fanfic stories that turn Pete into a monster... the guy was a big, slobbery, loveable puppy-dog).

But, I'm rambling...

[ForeverSg1]

So here's a few questions for you all...

With what we have seen of season nine so far, do you think it was worth all the changes we've had so far in order to keep the show going for a ninth and possibly ten season? Or would you have preferred that they had ended the series after season eight and just chose to continue with mini-series or big screen movies?

Do you think the way the season has progressed that it will affect the chances of RDA being a part of future movies or mini-series?

If you had your chance to write the final episode of Stargate, how would you like to see it all end?

[minigeek]

would you have preferred that they had ended the series after season eight and just chose to continue with mini-series or big screen movies?

Yup.

One word answer. There ya go.

[Skydiver]

As someone who lives in her head... a rational, logical and scientific being, I think Sam probably has a hard time dealing with emotions. Emotions are anti-logic. There are no mathmatical proofs for love and hate, and yet their power in shaping our existence is undeniable. But it's not like you can build a circuit with capacitors and on/off switches to control them. And I think they probably give her problems because of that.

We've seen several instances where Sam's brain reacted to the situation first... A Matter of Time comes to mind... she was initially so fascinated by the black hole that she didn't stop to consider the people who were being killed by it. But once that fact was pointed out to her, she was horrified. So I think that many times, Sam thinks first, then feels second.

After her mother died, her emotional models were her father (mister tough-guy military) and her brother, who was also male. Once she got into the Academy, she would know as well as any other woman in a male dominated field that readily showing emotions (particularly things like crying and anger) would be interpreted as feminine weakness (or *****y-ness, in the case of anger). So I have no doubt she would try to suppress them in order to avoid being judged as weak or emotional.

That being said, I think Sam failed frequently to do so... She is too compassionate and empathetic to succeed in repressing her emotions completely, particularly when people she cares about are concerned, and we have seen that throughout the series. AT does a brilliant job of showing Sam trying to hold it all together, and yet failing miserably. At least, that's how I interpreted many of those scenes. Conflicted. So I wouldn't say that Sam wears her heart on her sleeve. I would say that Sam tries NOT to wear her heart on her sleeve. She just doesn't always succeed.

As for her love life... I would think she's very uncomfortable with the whole emotional shebang. Insecure. Closed off. Afraid of getting hurt. Unsure of how to proceed. Pete was a huge step for her. But good, as well, because maybe it allowed her to explore her emotional side with a guy who was really pretty safe and wasn't likely to hurt her (and sorry, I don't buy those fanfic stories that turn Pete into a monster... they guy was a big, slobbery, loveable puppy-dog).

But, I'm rambling...

but what a good ramble!!!!!

and i think it's spot on.

sam has had to make herself very emotionally self-reliant and, frankly, is a complete and total geeky clutz when it comes to interpersonal stuff

(but she is an adorable geeky clutz )

[Skydiver]

i think moebius was probaby the best 'series ender' they've had and it could have stood as The End.

the second best was Revelations

[Tracy Jane]

i think moebius was probaby the best 'series ender' they've had and it could have stood as The End.

the second best was Revelations

I think Moebius would have been good as the end. With perhaps a mini series like Stargate: The Uprising, about SG1 in Ancient Egypt. I also thought both Full Circle and Lost City were perfect places to end Stargate. As much as I love seeing them go on every time, there's a part of me that feels like they are spreading the butter too thinly now.

[Strix varia]

So here's a few questions for you all...

With what we have seen of season nine so far, do you think it was worth all the changes we've had so far in order to keep the show going for a ninth and possibly ten season? Or would you have preferred that they had ended the series after season eight and just chose to continue with mini-series or big screen movies?

Do you think the way the season has progressed that it will affect the chances of RDA being a part of future movies or mini-series?

If you had your chance to write the final episode of Stargate, how would you like to see it all end?

At this point (and I may change my mind by the end of the season) I wish they'd ended it after season eight and continued with mini-series or big screen movies.

The fact that they haven't resolved the S/J ship leads me to hope that maybe they haven't done so in order to keep open the possibility of a movie with Sam and Jack on the same team with Jack commanding.

[golfbooy]

When it comes to Carter's openness with people and relationships, I'm not sure that I see her backstory (ie her mother's death, time spent at Academy, time in Washington) as having that much of an influence on how she deals with people. Sure, that somewhat insulated nature is there; I think that's a big part of who she really is. But to be honest, I don't see Sam as being that different from the rest of the team. I think that Kat was on the right track when she described how the events of various seasons effected Sam. Being a part of SG-1 and the SGC is a damn unique experience. The relationships that Carter, O'neill, Teal'c, and Daniel have are, simply put, too intimate and too deep for any other part of their lives to take precedent over being a part of SG-1. A while back there were a few comments that anyone who married Carter or became a part of her life would have to be able to deal with Sam's incredible intimacy and reliance on Daniel, Teal'c, and O'neill. I think that's dead on, and I think it holds true for all four of them.

At various times we've seen all four of SG-1 struggle with this "outside" aspect of their lives. Pete and Kerry are easy examples for Carter and O'neill, but I think that Daniel struggled with it in The Curse. It remains largely unexplored in the show, but being a part of SG-1 has resulted in Daniel completely abandoning his life before the Stargate Program. That's an aspect of his character I'd like to see explored, one that might mirror some of the introspective, soul-searching plotlines that we've seen Sam and Teal'c tackle in recent seasons. Speaking of Teal'c, part of his whole story arc has been his conflict between staying with SG-1, the three people he is closest with, and returning to the Jaffa, the people he feels he should be closest with.

If we're being truly analytical here, then Sam is no different than the rest of SG-1. None of the team has ever been successful in creating or maintaining relationships of substance outside of work. One of the points of the show is that family for these four people is each other, not some group of people outside of their jobs. It's part of what has made the idea of SG-1 and of being on that front-line, first contact team such a special thing. It's one of the ways that SG-1 has earned the special distinction, and one of the reasons others (like Cameron) aspire to join. It's also the reason why Cameron and other new cast members will never truly be part of SG-1 for many fans.

Which leads me to:

Originally Posted by ForeverSg1
So here's a few questions for you all...

With what we have seen of season nine so far, do you think it was worth all the changes we've had so far in order to keep the show going for a ninth and possibly ten season? Or would you have preferred that they had ended the series after season eight and just chose to continue with mini-series or big screen movies?

Do you think the way the season has progressed that it will affect the chances of RDA being a part of future movies or mini-series?

If you had your chance to write the final episode of Stargate, how would you like to see it all end?

No, I don't feel that all of the changes we've had thus far have been worth it just for the sake of continuing the show. There's been too much of a disconnect between seasons eight and nine, too much natural continuity pushed aside in favor of a "smooth transition". Dropping the natural, logical story arcs of major characters for the sake of new viewers has only served to somewhat alienate me from this newer version of Stargate SG-1.

As far as RDA goes, I'm pretty sure that the only thing stopping him from being a part of the show or its future is RDA himself. So, no, I don't think going on has affected the chances of his being part of any future for the show. But I do think that a future miniseries/movie is far less likely an entity at all, now that the show has gone on in this manner. RDA can and will do whatever he feels like.

For me personally, I'd have liked to see SG-1 continue as it was originally conceived and successful. If that meant that the show had to stop, and that I'd only get a miniseries now and then or a movie every so often, well, then that's what I'd have preferred. Going on in this fashion has robbed the show of that self-contained uniqueness which set it apart from other TV fare. And stopping at Moebius allowed a sense of closure for the characters that I don't think they'll ever be able to acheive again.

[jckfan55]

I have a topic. Actually it's a "ship" question but a generic one. One having to do with Sam's character in general. It's something with respect to Sam's character I thought about after I read a few short fics over the weekend, a couple of Sam/Jack ones and a Sam/Barret one, and one that was Sam/Jack but started out Sam/Pete. How does Sam express deep emotions?

for the non shippers of the group, what topic would you like to talk about?

please, samandans, come out and play!

"Oh, P-90, you have gotten me through some tough times. Have I ever told you how important you are to me?"

"Who took my C-4 out of my backpack?! Aargh!"

And of course few people know that she actually names her naquadah reactors. They're like children to her.





sally [/QUOTE]

[tara3583]

So here's a few questions for you all...

With what we have seen of season nine so far, do you think it was worth all the changes we've had so far in order to keep the show going for a ninth and possibly ten season? Or would you have preferred that they had ended the series after season eight and just chose to continue with mini-series or big screen movies?

Do you think the way the season has progressed that it will affect the chances of RDA being a part of future movies or mini-series?

If you had your chance to write the final episode of Stargate, how would you like to see it all end?

No i think it should have ended at s8 then gone on to movies, the writing imho has lost it spark and Cam really is not doing it for me!
I think it's to late (with this storyline in place) to go into movies with RDA being in front and centre story line, but i'd love to eat my hat and be proved wrong by the ptb and give us a rip roaring s10!
Oh one last thing, they need Sam more front and centre for s10!