Sam Carter/Amanda Tapping Discussion/Appreciation

[Tracy Jane]

Just watched some of OTG and

Spoiler:

for the first time ever I'd happily see Cam become a victim of dramatic plot device and die.... oi.. there are good old days... dear god.. there are now good old days.. how sad!

You remember JM's season ten spoilers? About

Spoiler:

an important character death

My fingers, toes, legs and various other parts are crossed.

[Dani76]

Quick disclaimer: This post is in no way intended to bash any actor, character or PTB, and it's not even intended as a negative post. Just some random thoughts I had after last night's episode.

Okay, some of you posted that they were annoyed by Mitchell's cockiness, hot headedness, mistakes (whatever you want to call it), but that at the same time, Sam came across as more competent, capable, and a "better" leader because of how Mitchell was written. I have to say, I very much agree with that.

I went back and looked at the episodes where Mitchell was written in a way that showed him as "screwing up", making a mistake, or acting unreasonably and where Sam and Daniel acted "annoyed" or ... in response to it. The ones that immediately came to mind were OTG, Stronghold, and Prototype. (I didn't count the ones where he was simply written OTT.) All three episodes were written by Alan McCullough, 2 of these three were directed by PDL, one by Will Waring.

Now, this is all just wild speculation on my part, but could it be that Mitchell's actions and Sam and Daniel's reactions were actually written, directed and acted out this way on purpose? I mean, maybe there are some PTB out there who can't handle Mitchell any other way than to "use" him to point out Sam's competence and capabilities??? Maybe some of the writers/directors have the same problem we have with Mitchell and the role he's been given. And even though they have to and do write and direct in character, at the same time they actually turn it around to show that he doesn't quite fit in with the rest of the team.

I don't know, maybe it's just me, but if you wanted to make a new character the hero and the leader and you wanted him to fit in, wouldn't you write him in a different way, more competent for example? Would you really have him make all the mistakes that set the episode into motion? Or would you rather have him be the one saving the day?

Maybe it's just wishful thinking that it is not bad writing per se but that it is actually done on purpose. To what end I don't know, even though I have my hopes and dreams.

Like I said, just some random ideas I thought I'd throw at you. Any takers??

[Historian]

Now, this is all just wild speculation on my part, but could it be that Mitchell's actions and Sam and Daniel's reactions were actually written, directed and acted out this way on purpose? I mean, maybe there are some out there who can't handle Mitchell any other way than to "use" him to point out Sam's competence and capabilities??? Maybe some of the writers/directors have the same problem we have with Mitchell and the role he's been given. And even though they have to and do write and direct in character, at the same time they actually turn it around to show that he doesn't quite fit in with the rest of the team.

I don't, maybe it's just me, but if you wanted to make a new character the hero and the leader and you wanted him to fit in, wouldn't you write him in a different way, more competent for example? Would you really have him make all the mistakes that set the episode into motion? Or would you rather have him be the one saving the day?

Maybe, it's just wishful thinking that it is not bad writing per se but that it is actually done on purpose, to what end I don't know, even though I have my hopes and dreams.

Like I said, just some random ideas, I thought I'd throw at you. Any takers??

I'm with you on this one Dani. I have no idea what's their goal, but I doubt very much that it's bad writing.

[ShimmeringStar]

http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c1...erSG1/otg2.jpg

Is it just me, or does it seem like whenever they do a shot with Sam and Cameron standing next to one another that Sam looks really small? I don't think I've ever really noticed Sam being so much smaller than the other guys in the past. I mean, yeah, next to Teal'c, Sam's always looked petite. Perhaps it was due to camera angles or the fact that MS wasn't really buffed up in the earlier seasons so even though he was a few inches taller than Amanda he didn't make her look small next to him. I mean when they chatted with one another they always seemed to look nearly eye-to-eye. However, I've really been noticing how much smaller Sam appears to be in certain scenes this season.

I don't know that I noticed. I did notice that T, D, and Sam all looked good in this pic http://www.gateworld.net/sg1/s9/graphics/916_06.shtml and that Cam was the one who looked slightly scrawny in comparision, IMOHO.....

As for Off the Grid... *sighs* I don't have much to say and especially not in the ep thread. I did stay awake for it (and had high hopes that given the costuming I'd seen in the spoiler pix) that it'd be a interesting ep and at the level of Ethon. *shrugs*

Spoiler:

The locater implant technology was something that surprised me and the ease with which they accepted it. Since in RL while some are willing to do it to their dogs and cats, they're not about to do it to humans... Can we say Big Brother? Not to mention *stupid* because now we've given our enemies a really easy way to track our own people if they have good enough hackers to crack the signal/code!

And the obvious continuity error when they were beamed up and they went from sitting to standing! Even my Dad (my SG watching buddy) noticed that and laughed saying "Look at that mistake! It would have been funnier to have had them fall backwards..."

And that Mary Poppins thing - it was a good-natured dig by Cam about Sam's perceived goody-two-shoes-edness, but could have been so much better. Although I have a theory that Sam will wait until the perfect time to get Cam back for that crack... and that it'll be a darn good one.

I don't know, I guess it hit home to me how much I wasn't invested in this ep, especially when they were tied up in the Lucien compound. I wanted to be and I wasn't. And it's not the actors at all. It's the writing. (Sorry PTB... y'all need a sabbatical longer than just the month of December or way more writing blood and please clone Brad Wright and Martin Wood and bring back Gekko oversight........) It just seems so predictable and even though everyone's together, there's nothing unique about what they're saying or doing, nothing that makes me buy that the Pentagon, Jack, or Landry would be allowing SG1 to screw up like this or become the team everyone laughs at instead of looks up to. And Cam.... oh, the Cam I wanna like is sooooo becoming the Cam I wanna slam....

*sighs* So what's up next week... A Bug's Life?

[LaCroix]

Quick disclaimer: This post is in no way intended to bash any actor, character or PTB, and it's not even intended as a negative post. Just some random thoughts I had after last night's episode.

Okay, some of you posted that they were annoyed by Mitchell's cockiness, hot headedness, mistakes (whatever you want to call it), but that at the same time, Sam came across as more competent, capable, and a "better" leader because of how Mitchell was written. I have to say, I very much agree with that.

I went back and looked at the episodes where Mitchell was written in a way that showed him as "screwing up", making a mistake, or acting unreasonably and where Sam and Daniel acted "annoyed" or ... in response to it. The ones that immediately came to mind were OTG, Stronghold, and Prototype. (I didn't count the ones where he was simply written OTT.) All three episodes were written by Alan McCullough, 2 of these three were directed by PDL, one by Will Waring.

Now, this is all just wild speculation on my part, but could it be that Mitchell's actions and Sam and Daniel's reactions were actually written, directed and acted out this way on purpose? I mean, maybe there are some PTB out there who can't handle Mitchell any other way than to "use" him to point out Sam's competence and capabilities??? Maybe some of the writers/directors have the same problem we have with Mitchell and the role he's been given. And even though they have to and do write and direct in character, at the same time they actually turn it around to show that he doesn't quite fit in with the rest of the team.

I don't know, maybe it's just me, but if you wanted to make a new character the hero and the leader and you wanted him to fit in, wouldn't you write him in a different way, more competent for example? Would you really have him make all the mistakes that set the episode into motion? Or would you rather have him be the one saving the day?

Maybe it's just wishful thinking that it is not bad writing per se but that it is actually done on purpose. To what end I don't know, even though I have my hopes and dreams.

Like I said, just some random ideas I thought I'd throw at you. Any takers??

I'm wondering if it's all reverse psychology. What if whomever wants the viewer to really take a dis-like to Mitchell in the second half of this season.
But only to really prop him up in season 10.

Also the same could be true of Vala. Fans of that character loved her in the first half.

Spoiler:

More than likely in the last two episodes. Only to really dis-like her in season 10 also

. Just in case.

But of course this is only one persons opinion. Others will/most likely vary.

[Skydiver]

maybe dani has a point. maybe cam's assassination is more the victim of

a) a writer that doesn't quite have a handle on him
b) a director whose idea of 'good' and 'fun' is potty humor and adolescent jokes

don't get me wrong, PdL is a good guy...but he's got the mentality of a teenager over dosed on testosterone. He probably thinks american pie is the epitomy of fantastic entertainment (for the record, i hate movies that rely solely on sex and potty humor to be called entertaining)

deliberately or not, Cam is getting 'killed' by members of the crew. and given that we have a writer and director in common during two of the 'worst' occasions, it could very well be nothing 'organized' but simply a lack of abilty on behalf of a writer and director

[SamFan31]

http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c1...erSG1/otg2.jpg


Is it just me, or does it seem like whenever they do a shot with Sam and Cameron standing next to one another that Sam looks really small? I don't think I've ever really noticed Sam being so much smaller than the other guys in the past. I mean, yeah, next to Teal'c, Sam's always looked petite. Perhaps it was due to camera angles or the fact that MS wasn't really buffed up in the earlier seasons so even though he was a few inches taller than Amanda he didn't make her look small next to him. I mean when they chatted with one another they always seemed to look nearly eye-to-eye. However, I've really been noticing how much smaller Sam appears to be in certain scenes this season.

I think I must be bored today because I went looking for some Sam height pictures in relation to Cam. Sorry the Beachhead pic is so small of our main characters, but it was the best I could do and show full body shots standing on a level floor facing the camera.

So, is Sam the incredible shrinking warrior? She does look shorter in OTG. Perhaps the second cap may show the possibility of either

a. Ground tilting to the left.
b. Myrth’s “Scully box” is in use.
c. Duchovny’s Ditch is in use.

Beachhead


Off the Grid

[Skydiver]

well, at is 5'11", and ben must be 6' something (going by the top pic, i'd say 6'3" ish)

yet she does look a lot shorter in OTG.

wonder if cam's wearing heels

[Mandysg1]

I think I must be bored today because I went looking for some Sam height pictures in relation to Cam. Sorry the Beachhead pic is so small of our main characters, but it was the best I could do and show full body shots standing on a level floor facing the camera.

So, is Sam the incredible shrinking warrior? She does look shorter in OTG. Perhaps the second cap may show the possibility of either

a. Ground tilting to the left.
b. Myrth’s “Scully box” is in use.
c. Duchovny’s Ditch is in use.

Beachhead



Off the Grid

d. Cam is wearing the new high heeled Sonny Bono boots

[Tracy Jane]

well, at is 5'11", and ben must be 6' something (going by the top pic, i'd say 6'3" ish)

yet she does look a lot shorter in OTG.

wonder if cam's wearing heels

On the main picture, the famous spoiler pic from GW, Sam is obviously walking behind Cam, which accounts for a great deal of the height difference. Dunno if that helps at all.

(((must close Royal Bar. The Bartender is slightly Sloshed)))

As for PDL, that is exactly his sense of humour, Sky. The Who Farted credits, anyone? Season 7 audio commentary?

[LaCroix]

Well according to imdb, Ben's 6' 1" tall.

So I'm going with A. Ground titling to the left.

[minigeek]

well, at is 5'11", and ben must be 6' something (going by the top pic, i'd say 6'3" ish)

I thought AT was 5'9?

[Skydiver]

d'oh, you're right. so 5'9" to 6'1" is a 4 inch difference. which is what i had pegged...i had the right proportion just not the right variables

[minigeek]

d'oh, you're right. so 5'9" to 6'1" is a 4 inch difference. which is what i had pegged...i had the right proportion just not the right variables

I only remember that because I'm also 5'9, otherwise I'd never recall any of that trivial stuff. My (boyfriend - I hate that term) is 6'3, and standing side by side with me, he looks about as much taller than me as Cam does with Sam in that picture, so if it's height we're looking at, I think there must be something rigged there somehow. Even if it's just uneven ground. Are they on the grass?

[minigeek]

Speaking of "Off The Grid". I also rolled my eyes at the (Asgard) continuity issues, but I loved the action, the pace and the battle aspect(s). So I'd rate this episode as a "good", on the GW scale. I've nearly given up wondering why Cameron gets co-leadership of the team, so I'll just skip my rant on that. That Marry Poppins line could have been leveraged better, I think. Say, when Carter did something miraculous on the ship, later on, she might have turned to Mitchell and said: "Lets see Mary Poppins do THAT." But oh well. Wasted line!

I still feel as though they're giving Mitchell JACK LINES and they really need to stop. Because he's taking those lines and coming off like Crighton from Farscape - which seems to be getting worse each episode, as he grows more confident in his role. If I were among tptb, I'd work with Ben on that. He's capable of going in a different direction with Mitchell, and oh how I wish he would...

Nice guns they had though. Very cool. Lets hear it. What were they again, AD?


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