Sam Carter/Amanda Tapping Discussion/Appreciation

[the dancer of spaz]

Yes, Sam seems like someone who could be your neighbor. I'd be the one bringing in her mail and newspaper when she's gone b/c I'm the type of person who probably wouldn't pry into why she takes so many trips.

LOL. I'd totally be trying to get Murray or Dr. Jackson's phone numbers.

No, it's cool, because it's a nice and succinct way of summing up Carter's personality and, from what I've seen, AT's as well. The golf cart business, for example, was funny.

[jckfan55]

LOL. I'd totally be trying to get Murray or Dr. Jackson's phone numbers.

Ha! I'd just peek out the window at them.

[the dancer of spaz]

Ha! I'd just peek out the window at them.

Definitely. And leave different kinds of outrageous hats and 20-pound books on the hood of their car.

[jckfan55]

why am i posting this picture? well, i'm having one of my sam/amanda-is-so-great-and-cool-that-i-just-have-to-let-it-out moments. don't we all have those?

really, just thinking through all the great sam moments and scenes and eps we've been graced with over the years...

sally

Too bad the picture isn't clearer. We could tell what ribbons Sam has. I found a web site that tells about AF medals.
http://www.gruntsmilitary.com/afribs.php

[Melora]

Too bad the picture isn't clearer. We could tell what ribbons Sam has. I found a web site that tells about AF medals.
http://www.gruntsmilitary.com/afribs.php

According to Arduinna's Stargate Handbook (and she tends to do pretty meticulous research on this kind of stuff), these are the medal/awards Sam has right now:





She had only seven ribbons in season 7, so she must have gotten two more between Heroes and season 8 (New Order). You can check out jckfan55's link to see what all these are for.

[harsiesis child]

I have found RepliCarter sexiest than the "ordinary" Sam, but all "versions" of Sam are very sexy...

[scarimor]

I want to have RepliCarter's babies.

But I'd be scared of them when they came out.

[Deejay435]

My cat used to be a Teal'c fan. Whenever she would hear his voice, she'd perk up her ears and wake up.

I think in the beginning I didn't really have a fav character, but of all, Sam was actually my least favorite. Don't know why. Maybe it was her comment in the pilot about reproductive organs. (Seriously, what woman would say that? I know I wouldn't.) So I guess first impressions and all, I didn't really like her for a while. But she started to grow on me. Then I had to take a break from Stargate for several months while I was away from American TV, and when I came back, I discovered I loved Sam Carter! What a strong female role model. I love both her military and human sides. She's not afraid to cry but she's not afraid to get dirty either. Guess what they say about first impressions often being wrong is true! And thank goodness for that. What I would have missed if I tried to keep not liking Sam.

My cat just likes figure skating. She's SO my kid.

I'm glad you were able to get past your first impressions. So many people I've run into, in the fandom, haven't ever managed to get past that with Sam. At least that's why I think so many of them don't like her. I can't fathom it myself.

According to Arduinna's Stargate Handbook (and she tends to do pretty meticulous research on this kind of stuff), these are the medal/awards Sam has right now:





She had only seven ribbons in season 7, so she must have gotten two more between Heroes and season 8 (New Order). You can check out jckfan55's link to see what all these are for.

What other medals would you all have awarded to Sam, and for what actions?

[golfbooy]

Not that I've given it any thought or anything, but:

The best Sam episode of season six, eh? Honestly, I've been dreading this season, because I know exactly what other people are going to be voting for. No doubt I'll be in the minority with my views. I don't know what it says that I'm firmly against either of the outright "Sam" episodes this season winning, but it must say something (probably about the writer). Moreover, season six features a lot of Sam in a lot of episodes. There are any number of important and memorable Carter scenes, and any one of them could easily count as "the best". But this is about whole episodes, so a lot of great Sam stuff is going to get glossed over. Anyway, here goes.

Nightwalkers is obviously a potential choice. You've got Sam leading the team, ScientistSam!, undercover detective Sam, computer genius Sam, Sam translating Goa'uld, Sam getting snaked (again), and Sam saving the day. Guess what? That's too much Sam. As big an episode as this was for Carter, I think it showcases what's great about Amanda Tapping far more than what's great about Sam. Sam's not a superhero, she can't do everything at once. But this episode simply shoehorns her into whatever role is necessary to plod through the story, regardless as to whether it makes sense or not. And, as fun as it is (really, I do like the episode), it's not a great Stargate story. There's no depth to it, there's no real danger or conflict, and events that should have meaningful repercussions for both Sam as a person and the SGC as an entity are completely ignored. So, I in good conscience cannot vote for Nightwalkers.

No doubt at the top many people's lists is also Smoke and Mirrors. Yeah, um, I've mentioned my views on this one before. They haven't changed. No doubt Sam takes the lead in clearing Jack's name. No doubt she's the star of the episode. But, again, it's not a great Stargate episode, and again, it's got Sam shoehorned into a role that really isn't who she is. Sam Carter, detective, and Sam Carter, sidekick, do not illustrate what makes the character great. They don't add any depth to who Sam is as a person and they don't meaningfully impact either her life or the show as a whole. Unless you count her picking up another "admirer", that is. So much of this episode is based on cliche and cartoon visuals, including some Sam stuff, that I cannot in good conscience vote for it either. Sorry.

This leads me to examine other possibilities as the best Sam episode of season six. Prometheus is definitely an option. Despite featuring Sam kicking ass and Sam at her MacGyverish best, Prometheus stands out for me because it illustrates the resiliency that is such an inherent part of Sam's character. Actually, it's a character trait that all four members of SG-1 share. This episode, though, is Sam's turn to show it off. You've got Sam fighting bad guys, never giving up, coming up with various ways to stop the Prometheus from being stolen. And it all fits within the scope of the character. So, yeah, I like that one. We'll see. And it goes together with Unnatural Selection (see next paragraph).

Unnatural Selection ROCKS! It's one of the best episodes of the entire series, Sam greatness aside. It's got Sam being tortured, Sam taking a huge risk to appeal to Fifth, and almost best of all, Sam doing what she has to and what she's been ordered to do, despite her own feelings and despite the personal sacrifice to her own sense of integrity. She literally puts everyone else in the galaxy above herself. I love that Brad Wright always seems to find a way to have Carter faced with difficult, tough decisions where there is no right answer (Other Side, 2010, 2001, etc.). I love that he's capable of presenting her as so conflicted, and I love that each of these "momentous decisons" usually turn into character defining moments for Sam that usually have repercussions and fallout attached to them. All that aside, I also love the episode because it has so much time to breathe. The first twenty minutes of Unnatual Selection feature SG-1 hanging out on the Prometheus, just talking with each other and with Thor. The episode features the kind of character and team moments that made the first eight years of SG-1 so successful. Teal'c, Jonas, and O'neill sitting around eating ice cream works so well it's scary. The short, 15 second scene showing Jack teaching Jonas how to operate a P90 is nothing, but it conveys a great deal about the characters, the situation, and the show in general. Likewise, Carter's "discussion" with O'neill about naming the ship is well played and comfortable. The various character dynamics used to feel so natural because they were. Yeah, that one's probably my frontrunner right now.

Redemption would be an option, too. Sam does some fine work in this one, as does the rest of SG-1. Her interactions with McKay are fun, but they're nowhere near as sound as the Carter-O'neill interplay in this one. Off the top of my head, there's the stuff with the F302, and the stuff with her sharing her own fears of the situation and her willingness to admit her own self-doubt to him, not to mention the cake bit. The distinction there is that the McKay stuff is written, and is therefore somewhat forced. My impression is, though, that the Carter-O'neill stuff works so well not just because it's scripted, but because AT and RDA are so naturally comfortable with each other. It's that whole "seredipitous casting chemistry" thing at its best. And, I know that such an opinion is generally frowned upon, but I tend to love episodes where SG-1 spends a great deal of time at the SGC. So that one is on the table.

This is getting long, so I'll stick my other two possibilities in one paragraph. Metamorphosis and Paradise Lost are just awesome episodes. Sitting here thinking about it, I marvel at how good SG-1's "just an episode" episodes used to be. Anyway, both of these episodes feature Sam hurting, in one way or another. And sometimes, you can't beat a hurting Carter for great Sam stuff. Paradise Lost almost wins without contest for the unparalled goodness of Sam's lockerroom scene with Teal'c. That relationship in and of itself has been so carefully constructed by Chris Judge and Amanda Tapping that it's truly a pleasure to watch Teal'c and Carter interact. What makes the moment even more unique is that it's a moment of shared grief/concern for another member of SG-1. Carter, Teal'c, Daniel, and O'neill very rarely talk to each other about each other, but every time any of them does, it turns out to be something remarkably special and heartfelt. Seeing Carter fall apart because her world is falling apart around her is something I doubt I'll ever tire of seeing. As for Metamorphosis, I love the way that Amanda Tapping plays Sam as quietly dealing with her own probable demise. The fact that such a demise is so unnatural and gruesome adds a great deal of gravity to the episode, and it just debunks the prevalent opinion that you can't believably write a lead character "in peril". It's not whether or not you do it or how often you do it, it's how you do it. The details do matter, and they got them right in this one.

Well, there they are. Those are my options. For today. See me tomorrow for perhaps a completely different opinion. However, for this vote on this day, it's going to be Unnatural Selection. Yup, Unnatural Selection, the best Sam episode of season six. According to me, that is.

[Melora]

What other medals would you all have awarded to Sam, and for what actions?

There are a couple she should already have but doesn't, at least in my estimation. But then again, I'm not an expert on these types of things. Shouldn't she have gotten one or both of the Kuwait Liberation Medals for serving in the Gulf War?

I also think she probably qualifies for a Purple Heart - either for Jolinar or the injuries from the Super Soldier encounter in Death Knell.

I was very pleased to see that she has an Airman's Medal (the noncombat equivalent of the Bronze Star) and a Meritorious Service Medal. Both are more heavily weighted than the Air Medal she got in Secrets. But both are for heroic acts/risking your life in situations not involving combat.

This got me thinking, and maybe some of the thread members with military knowledge will know how to answer this: Can Sam ever officially be awarded a medal that requires heroic action in combat? Because 'officially', women are not supposed to be in combat positions. Perhaps that is why she hasn't been given a Bronze or Silver Star yet.

[ReganX]

grr, dang green jello fridge and its padlock

congrats deejay

and our winnah for s5, BY ONE VOTE!!!!!!!!!

Revelations

it beat Ascension by one vote

told ya it was close

Probably a good thing I forgot to vote. It would have been a tie.

[minigeek]

Hey, I didn't even realize - I made post 1500, too! Wow, only what - 300 more to go before I can post my own avatar?!?!

geek

[Mandysg1]

Hey, I didn't even realize - I made post 1500, too! Wow, only what - 300 more to go before I can post my own avatar?!?!

geek

Congrats mini and I've got to catch up to you. I guess that means I have to rant and whinge less

[Skydiver]

thanks for not voting...cause then i'd hae had to cast the tie breaker vote and that woulda been hard

and speaking of voting, know how many i have for s6????

ONE.

just one

[ReganX]

thanks for not voting...cause then i'd hae had to cast the tie breaker vote and that woulda been hard

No problem.