Sam Carter/Amanda Tapping Discussion/Appreciation

[stargate barbie]

ok, i haven't actually read all the posts that i have to catch up on but i'm going to add my thought anyway.

personally i wanted pete to be a really good guy (but not for the relationship to go as far as it did, 'cause i didn't want the good guy getting hurt). i felt that if pete were a great guy, and sam still couldn't get over jack, and she was still totally in love with jack, that it would completely resolve the s/j issue once and for all. she tried with a genuinely great guy, who ended up knowing about the stargate, (perhaps through discovering a goa'uld through genuine policing), and it didn't work because she was in love with jack. the end.

i think thats still what they tried to do, but i just felt that pete was not the "great guy" they seemed to think he was. i never felt he was worthy of her after chimera. now i admit she never should have let the relationship go as far as it did, but hey, its sam! she's not exactly great with the whole personal life thing. (eloquent, i know)

[majorsal]

spoilers for s7 and s8

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Evnin all..

I'm just gonna jump in here and completely disagree with the current topic of the thread.

I actually thought that Pete achieved exactly what he was supposed to. As far as I'm concerned he was there to represent the ideal of what Sam thought she wanted. And through him and the arc of that relationship, Sam realised that it was her ideal that was flawed.

I found it to be an enjoyable contrast arc of self discovery for Sam. In New Order

Spoiler:

when Sam didn't beleive for a second she would be living with Pete on a farm. That was a defining moment and a huge point for her in her own thinking about her life I would say. Perhaps not at the time, but in reflection. Then her growing discomfort with the relationship up until threads. No-one likes to admit that they're wrong, and as much as Sam thought she was a white picket fence girl, she just isn't.

The other thing that series of eps highlighted to me, is how much sense Jack makes as the choice for her. And in part it was her coming to that conclusion. In Grace she's convinced he's not right for her, that it wouldn't work. As evidenced by her various hallucinations telling her that, including and most importantly Jack himself. I loved that Threads tied back to those moments, but with the reverse implication. Jacob was implying that she could have Jack, not the other way round, which she had assumed would be the case, shown to us by halluci!Jacob in Grace.

I love that kind of detailed and deep story telling. I liked that we got to see a "real" journey with real issues highlighted mixed in with the very emotional poignance aspect.

I fully accept that I'm probably in the minority, but I applaude the Pete storyline and still firmly beleive that Sam & Jack's journey has been a slow and beautifully graceful burn. Can't wait for the next chapter

i basically agree with you, myrth. the only part i would have changed is pete doing what he did in the second half of chimera. just take away him wanting to know things and taking things into his own hands when sam said no... and he would have been a great 'distraction' and boyfriend until sam saw the light (jack).

what you're saying about what pete and the sam/pete storyline stood for it right, it's just the delivery and ignorant writing that tarnished it.

on a side note to this topic -
i remember amanda saying (and this was before the fans saw chimera) that part of the storyling of chimera was how do you handle having a relationship with someone that you can't share everything with? pete was outside of the 'know', so how hard would it be to have a relationship with someone that you had to keep things from?

the only way they 'dealt' with this part was that pete 'wanted' to know things, but how they *solved* it was that he found out on his own. there was no 'real' time of showing how this would affect a relay over time. it was a couple or so days of angsting on sam and pete's parts, then the *easy* way out by pete finding out. it was the easy way out. just like they did with teal'c living outside of the mountain in 'affinity'. instead of really giving us teal'c's trials and tribulations, it was moving him into the ghetto and then throwing him back into the mountain when it didn't work. no real exploring.

and does anyone that made the ep realize that sam and pete's relationship up to that point was only about two to three weeks long?


at the end of 'evolution part 2', the sgc gets the 'zombi box'.

then 'grace' happens.

then 'fallout'.

then 'chimera'.

then 'deathknell', where sam says to jacob that they'd only had the 'box' for a month.

are we supposed to believe that sam got a concussion, recovered enough to go on the 'fallout' mission, then meets and starts dating pete in 'chimera'... and this is all in a four week period of time? which really means that the 'pete' stuff was *less* than four weeks, because 'deathknell' was the fourth week.

hello?!

i really wish that rob cooper would keep some kind of records with him or something, because things get *very* lost in translation... or something.





sally

[majorsal]

While on the subject, just me but I really think that Amanda outshines every one of the Hollywood beauties on the red carpet (okay, I'll cut some slack for one of AT's idols, Meryl Streep).

Amanda's been blessed with such good looks and her bubbly personality adds to the glow.

So, in my book, the Oscar goes to ...

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y11...al/ATLeo05.jpg

Wouldn't it just be great to see her up there one day?!

HEAR, HEAR!!!




sally

[majorsal]

Sam and Barrett together?
I thought about that since I first saw them together.
Although I'm a hard core Sam/Jack shipper I thought they worked well together.
You can't deny the chemistry in Resurrection even if she was already with Pete.
He would have been a better choice than Pete but that's what I think about it of course

the actor that played barrett bored me as much as the actor that played pete. amanda's, like, the most gorgeous woman on this planet, and they keep pairing her off with boring guys (except for rda, who is sex on a stick ).

just my opinion of course.




sally


ps - did anyone watch the academy awards last night? did you see what won for best song? *shakes head and shuts up on subject*

[Skydiver]

spoilers for s7 and s8

and does anyone that made the ep realize that sam and pete's relationship up to that point was only about two to three weeks long?


at the end of 'evolution part 2', the sgc gets the 'zombi box'.

then 'grace' happens.

then 'fallout'.

then 'chimera'.

then 'deathknell', where sam says to jacob that they'd only had the 'box' for a month.

are we supposed to believe that sam got a concussion, recovered enough to go on the 'fallout' mission, then meets and starts dating pete in 'chimera'... and this is all in a four week period of time? which really means that the 'pete' stuff was *less* than four weeks, because 'deathknell' was the fourth week.

hello?!

i really wish that rob cooper would keep some kind of records with him or something, because things get *very* lost in translation... or something.





sally

yep. they screwed up pretty badly with that

they did the same with crusade. in arthur's mantle cam says that sam had been playinig witht he thing for 6 months...but vala is way more than 6 months along

anymore they keep such poor record keeping they need to eliminate all references to the passage of time

[Mandysg1]

yep. they screwed up pretty badly with that

they did the same with crusade. in arthur's mantle cam says that sam had been playinig witht he thing for 6 months...but vala is way more than 6 months along

anymore they keep such poor record keeping they need to eliminate all references to the passage of time

Yea, but everybody knows that SG can change the time line any time they want. So whats a few months

[NearlyCircular]

Actually, I sort of had you in mind while I was making it.

Awww, thanks, Strix. I only wish I looked that good in front of a blackboard full of equations. Maybe if I did, my students would pay more attention. Of course if Sam were in front of a class, I'm sure that all their attention would be on her, not the equations.

NC

[ShimmeringStar]

I have two thoughts regarding Pete:

First, I don't really think Pete was a good guy. Not a bad guy, but not a good guy either.

I agree that he wasn't a homicidal maniac, or potential wife beater. But there is a huge continuum between "not a murderer" and "good guy". Simply not being an abusive jerk doesn't necessarily make you a good person. I don't think Pete falls at either end of the spectrum.

I always saw Pete as inherently self-centered. He wanted what he wanted, Sam's needs or desires be damned. He was childish and petulant when Sam couldn't tell him what he wanted to know. He ignored the risk to Sam's career to both do a background check on her, and follow on the job. In that case he ignored the risk to her life. And, imo, buying a house without even consulting her was pretty overbearing. From what we saw on-screen, other than a one-time discussion of 'dream homes' they'd never even discussed where to live. Who said Sam wanted to give up her house? (Heck, I wouldn't, Sam's house is sweet.)

My whole picture of Pete was that he couldn't see past himself enough to even conceive that Sam might want something different. And for me, that definately doesn't fall into wonderful, or even 'good guy' territory.

However, while I didn't like the Pete character, and would definately not want to date someone like Pete in real life, I think that arc did teach Sam a valuable lesson about herself.

Sam was too invested in wanting a normal life. Whether that was because she thought others in her life, ie her father, wanted that for her, or she really wanted it for herself-she thought that's what she should be reaching for.

But Sam's not normal. She's so far above and beyond normal that she'd have to have a stargate to get back to it.

And I think struggling through the 'normal' relationship taught her that. And taught her that normal is not inherently good, just like abnormal isn't inherently bad. I'm very disappointed that the writers think this path is finished for her, because that leaves the audience not being able to see the growth that came from that relationship for her. But I do think the growth was there, and I think, as much as because of her unresolved feelings for Jack, that was the reason she called it off in the end.

Anyway, that's how I get lemonade out of the lemon that was Pete Shannahan.

Great post Deejay. All these posts, and the positive and negative (and respectful) give and take, all remind me of the wonderful and civil discussion forum members had in late spring/summer 2004 after Chimera aired in the “If Pete's so hated for "stalking"...” Thread (pro&anti PS). And “Against Pete” Thread (anti-PS).

I think I got all my Pete-thoughts out of my system back then. But I will say a plot device he was for sure. Not a very well-written one, either. But trying to put a positive spin on a poorly written plot device – his arc did give Sam a chance to experience the most ‘normal’ romantic ship that she’d ever had up to that point. ‘Course we could talk about Pete being as emotionally wounded/needy as Jonas in a different way, but that’d be for a different thread!

But yeah – Sam learned that society’s media-created “normalcy” ain’t all it’s cracked up to be. The little white picket fence house and 2.1 kids and 1.5 cars she’d idealized since her nomadic AF childhood didn’t mesh too well with the reality of the life that a vibrant, inquisitive, creative, and passionate and independent woman like Sam had chosen to live (IMOHO). But like many others do, she had to live it and ‘feel the pain’ so to speak to understand that it (and Pete) would have been just too constricting. And to not have the regret of “what might have been” down the road.

[stargate barbie]

Evil and angry/mad/furious woman are always the hottest, sexiest and are much more appealing
But with Sam?!? Someone said Good Carter when she is pi$$ed off
And... I agree... yep... *nodding*

WOOHOO! i think i said that. (the memory's not the best though, and i'm too lazy to check)

[rarocks24]

Can I have both and tell yall tomorrow morning?

Just kidding. Hmm, good Sam. Just curious, but does Jolinar/Sam fall under good Sam or bad Sam?

[minigeek]

and for those that don't like the ooshy-gooshy stuff, well chapter 9 is more of an epilogue than anything else. my little reward and pbbt to those that give me crud all the time (well meaning teasing crud)

chapter 8 was also one of the hardest to write. i cursed and fought with it over a long weekend, trying to get these characters to talk to each other

it took a 3 hour drive from omaha for me to work things out

And I am so looking forward to reading it all ! Can we FFWd two weeks? lol

I'm in dire need of some really good storytelling...

minigeek

[minigeek]

I realize this isn't completely Sam Carter centric, but I also wanted to send a little Samanda shout out to our girl Strix for her recent discourse over on the "Who Should Lead SG-1" thread.

I know lots of us have participated there, and everyone's had some really intelligent things to say, but I've been so impressed the last few times I've popped in there to read at the kind of stuff Strix has been bringing up, really raised the bar on that topic in such a level-headed, thoughtful and non reactionary way. She's got the respect of BOTH sides in the argument and I'm just really so proud that she's one of the family here (can we claim her? can we? huh? huh?) lol

I'd have sent her a PM to say this, but I think she deserves a standing ovation! So I'm sending it here instead. WAY TO FREAKIN' GO STRIX!

Hugs,
geek

[Deejay435]

I have made four more Sam icons:

http://photobucket.com/albums/y293/gunhilda/Icons/

SO taking the "Do not go gentle" one!

[Skydiver]

And I am so looking forward to reading it all ! Can we FFWd two weeks? lol

I'm in dire need of some really good storytelling...

minigeek

me too, know of any good sam fic out there?

[stargate barbie]

I realize this isn't completely Sam Carter centric, but I also wanted to send a little Samanda shout out to our girl Strix for her recent discourse over on the "Who Should Lead SG-1" thread.

I know lots of us have participated there, and everyone's had some really intelligent things to say, but I've been so impressed the last few times I've popped in there to read at the kind of stuff Strix has been bringing up, really raised the bar on that topic in such a level-headed, thoughtful and non reactionary way. She's got the respect of BOTH sides in the argument and I'm just really so proud that she's one of the family here (can we claim her? can we? huh? huh?) lol

I'd have sent her a PM to say this, but I think she deserves a standing ovation! So I'm sending it here instead. WAY TO FREAKIN' GO STRIX!

Hugs,
geek

cool, i actually quit reading (and participating in) that thread because i got bored with it. same arguement, and as far as i'm concerned i'm never going to agree with their (his) arguement, they're (he's) never going to agree with mine, so i felt it had gone as far as i could take it. i just stopped reading it. i swing by to see how the poll is doing. but other than that, i don't bother.

but i do applaude anyone who makes a logical, level headed arguement. of course its not always easy to use logic against those who don't!

go strix.

EDIT: just checked out the last few posts. she's good. i'm jealous.