Sam Carter/Amanda Tapping Discussion/Appreciation

[the dancer of spaz]

D'oh, you know what? You're probably right. It's the technical thing. Damn. I'll have to see if I can get a copy of that from one of the operators afterward. (and they're bound to show clips from it). But if I can get a master, I'll definitely compress it and share.

mg

Sweeeeet.

I just think it's cool that AT seems to be making her rounds in Vancouver. Even if we don't get to see her hosting anything...

[Uber]

D'oh, you know what? You're probably right. It's the technical thing. Damn. I'll have to see if I can get a copy of that from one of the operators afterward. (and they're bound to show clips from it). But if I can get a master, I'll definitely compress it and share.

mg

May blessings be showered upon you and your family for generations to come.

[golfbooy]

Regarding the whole tretonin thing, I think you're all wrong. (Ha, how's that for an intro?). It has always been my understanding that the tretonin, in both the Pangarans and later in the Jaffa, worked in exactly the same way that a normal, live symbiote worked in Jaffa and Goa'ulded humans, just that it didn't work as effectively. That is, just as a symbiote acts as a Jaffa's immune system, so too does the tretonin. It's not an addiction, it's not something that the Jaffa MUST have. But they do need something to act as their immune system, and right now the choices are either symbiotes or tretonin. Ergo:

human immune system<tretonin<actual Goa'uld symbiote

As for the make-up of the drug, as Jack so eloquently put it, "Whoa, that's ground Goa'uld." The Pangarans initial serum was physically derived from larval Goa'uld symbiotes. However, just like a symbiote, the tretonin had replaced their immune systems, and without regular doses of the drug they were without a means of fighting infection. When the Tok'ra came to help, they were able to develop a means of weaning the Pangarans off of tretonin and of allowing their natural immune systems to once again become active/take over. The Jaffa, though, do not possess natural immune systems (maybe, depending on how you interpret Bloodlines), as they were genetically engineered to serve as incubators for the Goa'uld.

As for the Jaffa, when Jacob Carter shows up in Changeling, he tells everyone that the Tok'ra have managed to create a synthetic version of tretonin, one that is especially geared towards Jaffa physiology. It's no longer made from "ground Goa'uld", but rather created in a lab. Apparently the Tok'ra had long been looking for a means of eliminating the Jaffa dependency on Goa'uld symbiotes (thereby eliminating an ethical wrinkle from their plans to use symbiote poison). Granted, the Jaffa would now be dependent upon regular injections of tretonin and were essentially trading one dependency for another, but it was certainly the lesser of two evils and a greater physical and psychological share of freedom from Goa'uld oppression. And as Jacob put it, "Given time, we can fix that."

As for Teal'c in Orpheus, this is where my nifty little immune expression above comes in. Teal'c's declaration that he's suddenly weak isn't entirely out of the blue and without foundation. According to the Tok'ra, the tretonin should have been working far better than it did in the Pangarans. Essentially, tretonin is less effective than an actual symbiote. Teal'c's statement that he's not as physically strong, that he's slower, that he's "not the Jaffa he (I) once was," is true. On the tretonin, Teal'c is weaker than previously, though still far stronger and faster than an ordinary human. Apparently he's struggled with his lesser abilities for a while now, and apparently it was obvious to at least Daniel that something had been bothering him. Orpheus is about Teal'c coming to terms with this "weakness" that comes with relinquishing his symbiote.

As for how long Teal'c could have survived in Moebius without a fresh supply of tretonin, that's a matter of perception. Canonly, he could live for potentially a few months with only one vial of the drug. While the initial dating of Ry'ac's and Bra'tac's capture on Erebus is unknown, it was at least while Daniel was still an ascended being. Daniel's entire decension in Fallen, the ambush of Anubis with the decoy tablet, and the affair with the Kelownans all took place during Ry'ac's and Bra'tac's captivity. So did the week the team spent with clone Jack in Fragile Balance. So did Teal'c's entire injury and recuperation in Orpheus. To my mind, this means that Teal'c could have conceivably lived for up to a year in ancient Egypt, so long as he had a travelling supply of tretonin with him on the mission.

[the dancer of spaz]

May blessings be showered upon you and your family for generations to come.

...

Riiight. What she said.

[the dancer of spaz]

Regarding the whole tretonin thing, I think you're all wrong. (Ha, how's that for an intro?).

Ah, yes. I see you've been working on those skills of subtlety, gb.

[Mandysg1]

D'oh, you know what? You're probably right. It's the technical thing. Damn. I'll have to see if I can get a copy of that from one of the operators afterward. (and they're bound to show clips from it). But if I can get a master, I'll definitely compress it and share.

mg

It's good to know people in high places, uh behind the scene places or is it just cold places

[Gate gal]

O.K., I was rewatching Hathor today and Sam totally rocked in that episode! I absolutely loved it when she hit Hammond over the head and thought her career was over then at the end she got the commendation! It was really cool to watch this season 1 episode and think about how far Sam Carter has come in a decade.

Season 1 Sam was a brilliant scientist and soldier who was not completely sure of herself and her abilities. She didn't know where she fit in with the guys on her team, but she desperately wanted to fit. Now, Sam is still a brilliant scientist and soldier, but she has the confidence (an important quaility in leadership) to handle any situation. We've seen her grow as a woman (even though the Pete thing was painful to watch), daughter (I so miss Jacob), soldier (how many times has she saved the world?), and a scientist (she blew up a SUN fercryinoutloud!) right before our eyes. In so many ways, Sam Carter has become the woman we all wish we could be! I love that Amanda and TPTB (guess they should get a bit of credit) chose to set Sam on a course of maturity though the years. As much as I love Sam of season 1, I love who the woman/soldier/superhero/scientist that Sam is today even more. (Sorry, but I needed more than the ten words allowed at Stargate Novels.)

[Mandysg1]

Ah, Hathor is one of my favourite episodes



need I say more

[scarimor]

Hathor rocks!

[majorsal]

I'd go even further and say that J/S coming to fruition would define Carter primarily due to the fact that all of S/J in S7-8 was constructed as Carter's arc:

"Just because my sex orgs are on the inside..." (conflict)
"Are you happy, Sam?" (crisis)
"To Sir With Love" (resolution)

i don't see it that way. i've seen -and always have seen- a two-sided love story. there's nothing else i can say.




sally

[RepliCartertje]

Hathor rocks!

you know for such a short post I need to quote that cause I totally agree!!!!
I love the Sam and Janet interaction in this and also the kick @ss soldier in Sam and Janet...LOVE IT...
I also love the doubts Sam has...Really a great ep...

and I know Mandy already posted some screencap but we can never have to much Sam eh

Spoiler:

click to enlarge...

[majorsal]

i was at work and thinking about sam. then this question(s) came to mind...

a - what character traits do i/you share with sam?

b - what character traits do you 'wish' you shared with sam?


answering a-
i think sam has a bit of a need-to-please factor going on with her, which is something i can relate to. i especially feel this with ppl of authority. sam also is a dove and hawk, when it comes to seeing things through a pov. i feel i do this too. i'm also very loyal to family/friends.

answering b-
i wish i were that smart. and that goal orientated. i mostly wish, though... that i looked like her.


what about you guys?






sally

[scifithinker]

Regarding the whole tretonin thing, I think you're all wrong. (Ha, how's that for an intro?). It has always been my understanding that the tretonin, in both the Pangarans and later in the Jaffa, worked in exactly the same way that a normal, live symbiote worked in Jaffa and Goa'ulded humans, just that it didn't work as effectively. That is, just as a symbiote acts as a Jaffa's immune system, so too does the tretonin. It's not an addiction, it's not something that the Jaffa MUST have. But they do need something to act as their immune system, and right now the choices are either symbiotes or tretonin. Ergo:

human immune system<tretonin<actual Goa'uld symbiote

As for the make-up of the drug, as Jack so eloquently put it, "Whoa, that's ground Goa'uld." The Pangarans initial serum was physically derived from larval Goa'uld symbiotes. However, just like a symbiote, the tretonin had replaced their immune systems, and without regular doses of the drug they were without a means of fighting infection. When the Tok'ra came to help, they were able to develop a means of weaning the Pangarans off of tretonin and of allowing their natural immune systems to once again become active/take over. The Jaffa, though, do not possess natural immune systems (maybe, depending on how you interpret Bloodlines), as they were genetically engineered to serve as incubators for the Goa'uld.

As for the Jaffa, when Jacob Carter shows up in Changeling, he tells everyone that the Tok'ra have managed to create a synthetic version of tretonin, one that is especially geared towards Jaffa physiology. It's no longer made from "ground Goa'uld", but rather created in a lab. Apparently the Tok'ra had long been looking for a means of eliminating the Jaffa dependency on Goa'uld symbiotes (thereby eliminating an ethical wrinkle from their plans to use symbiote poison). Granted, the Jaffa would now be dependent upon regular injections of tretonin and were essentially trading one dependency for another, but it was certainly the lesser of two evils and a greater physical and psychological share of freedom from Goa'uld oppression. And as Jacob put it, "Given time, we can fix that."

As for Teal'c in Orpheus, this is where my nifty little immune expression above comes in. Teal'c's declaration that he's suddenly weak isn't entirely out of the blue and without foundation. According to the Tok'ra, the tretonin should have been working far better than it did in the Pangarans. Essentially, tretonin is less effective than an actual symbiote. Teal'c's statement that he's not as physically strong, that he's slower, that he's "not the Jaffa he (I) once was," is true. On the tretonin, Teal'c is weaker than previously, though still far stronger and faster than an ordinary human. Apparently he's struggled with his lesser abilities for a while now, and apparently it was obvious to at least Daniel that something had been bothering him. Orpheus is about Teal'c coming to terms with this "weakness" that comes with relinquishing his symbiote.

As for how long Teal'c could have survived in Moebius without a fresh supply of tretonin, that's a matter of perception. Canonly, he could live for potentially a few months with only one vial of the drug. While the initial dating of Ry'ac's and Bra'tac's capture on Erebus is unknown, it was at least while Daniel was still an ascended being. Daniel's entire decension in Fallen, the ambush of Anubis with the decoy tablet, and the affair with the Kelownans all took place during Ry'ac's and Bra'tac's captivity. So did the week the team spent with clone Jack in Fragile Balance. So did Teal'c's entire injury and recuperation in Orpheus. To my mind, this means that Teal'c could have conceivably lived for up to a year in ancient Egypt, so long as he had a travelling supply of tretonin with him on the mission.

OK, so I mostly agree with you. No matter how strong Teal'c has always been in comparison to everyone else, he measures his strength compared to himself in the past in Orpheus. Ergo, he feels weak. For a jaffa who has always measured his worth in terms of his strength, this state is as emotionally crippling as physically crippling.

Where I disagree is the statement that "it's not (my emphasis) something that the Jaffa MUST have." I wonder, however, given the rest of that paragraph, if that's really what you meant to say. Is there one "not" too many in your argument? An immune system is crucial to life. Without tretonin to act as it, Teal'c would be one dead duck.

How long Teal'c would have actually lived in Ancient Egypt would depend on how big his vial was. (No sexual connotation implied....) And I, too, loved the idea of all of SG-1 bringing an extra supply in case they're delayed in getting home. (Darn, I wish I could remember which fanfic used that idea.)

The state of tretonin production offers a wealth of possibilities in terms of plotting for the show, but I think TPTBs feel they have other fish to fry instead.

Can't you just visualize Sam leading the team on a mission to find the remaining Tok'ra to restore the damaged supply lines? *sigh*

[Mandysg1]

i was at work and thinking about sam. then this question(s) came to mind...

a - what character traits do i/you share with sam?

b - what character traits do you 'wish' you shared with sam?


sally

a) Hmmm, I guess I'd have to say the sense of right and wrong, and trying to do the right thing.

b) Maybe her drive and those 8 inches she has on me

[Gate gal]

Major Sal that is such a great question, but I keep coming up with qualities I wish I shared with Sam vs. ones we actually have in common. I'm going to answer this one later if I can come up with a good answer.