Sam Carter/Amanda Tapping Discussion/Appreciation

[ForeverSg1]

I sympathize, binkpmmc; waiting is hard and frustrating.

But.

I nursed my kids (all 4 of them) and believe me when I tell you that AT does not have 20 minutes at this point in time to devote to interviews. Even with a reduced acting schedule she's gonna be one busy - and exhausted - lady for the next six months or so.

I know it is a disappointment that Amanda/Sam may not be as big a part of the show as she has been in the past eight years, but honestly I'm just excited that Amanda has agreed to be a part of the show at all. She's given us 110% of herself for the past eight years and she truly deserves this special gift she's been given. I know Olivia wasn't Amanda's first try to have a baby and I'm sure her hectic work schedule didn't help her situation.

Amanda is at a slight disadvantage to the other cast members in that she couldn't come back the day after her daughter's birth and jump right back into things: new dad's have some really big advantages over new moms in that aspect.

I have to agree with TH, I nursed my daughter for nearly a year and when you aren't nursing you are pumping (at least this was my case ). I was exhausted for the entire first year because my daughter was a really fussy eater and rarely slept longer than 2hrs at a time.

I know everyone is disappointed and frustrated with the lack of information coming out of Vancouver, but more than anything I think that Amanda really needs our patience, understanding and support right now. Her little girl is only a couple of months old, give her a little more time to get used to being a new mom and I'm sure once she's feeling a bit more at ease with the whole situation we will begin to hear more from her.

Kat

[Token]

I get that it could be AT's choice and if so that is fine and I have no problem with it - her life, her choice. A word in that regard would help and would sit fine with me. Mallozzi or anyone could just say AT is cutting back, taking time and is laying low - all of this nothingnes is what is bothering me - it is as if they are trying to cover something up and if it were ATs choice what harm would it do to just say so - the silence leads me down the path of thinking it is a decision made by TPTB and the suits not by AT and they are using the silence to try and keep it quiet as long as possible. But that's just me and I fully agree if it IS AT's decisions I back her 100% but then say that . . . there's nothing wrong with that.

I might be coming into this conversation late, but I just read the spoilers for S9 "Prototype"

Spoiler:

Everyone was mentioned except Sam. The spoilers said it would appear in the last half of Season 9. From the spoilers, I couldn't even figure out where Sam would fit into the plot.

So after reading those spoilers, I'm getting concerned with the silence about AT's involvement. I'm with you, binkpmmc. If it's AT's decision to remain in privacy, then why not say so. Could it be that AT is a little upset with the direction of Sam and has decided to be quiet instead of disrupt the Season 9 promotion train?? I'm definitely scratching my head. Oh, wait!! I have a cream for that!!

[Skydiver]

you know, i personally DREAD a season 9 solely in the hands of the three stooges. I'm absolutely cringing at the idea of 20 episodes chock full of PdL's idea of humor (ie the sexully laden innuendo) and i'm saddened to potentially see a good tv show sacrificed on the altar of fanboy mentality

but

I would rather amanda devote herself to olivia and her family then to the show. Family is forever, this show has never been anything more than a temporary job (8 years is still temporary)

I'd rather not see her and have her family come first. I've got 8 years worth of dvd's and 150megs of fanfic to fall back on

[sg-1fanintn]

okay - is anyone else getting PO'd like me? I just read the spoilers for Prototype which is supposed to be in the second half of the season and there is not one single mention of Carter - this is absurd. It sounds like a Daniel focus ep but they mention "the team" and they sepcifically mention Teal'c and Mitchell too, but again, zippo about Carter. If they are going to relegate her character to the back of the bus (or if AT wants it that way because of timing) they should say something and not drag the fans through the mud this way. At this point even if they do have Carter back in force I am tempted to dump the whole lot and walk away just because they are really ticking me off. (As to AT wanting a lesser role be4cause of time, I just cannot see her wanting to have her part cut that far back because she put 8 years of very hard work into the character and from all her interviews and things she has said she is very protective of the character and cutting back to such a degree could be seen as damaging to the charater and I am not sure she would want to see that happen. I would suspect that since she agreed to come back she would be willing to put in the time to keep the character strong, and a core, central character to the stories, not a window-dressing).

Just got back after running a couple of errands to find two new stories on GW's home page tonight......and apparently, you all found them while I was out. I too was concerned that there wasn't a single mention of Sam. If anyone wants to read the story (and it is full of spoilers, so be warned), it's at: http://www.gateworld.net/news/2005/0...einupcom.shtml

i haven't spoken to darren, but i'm confident in saying that a lack of interviews with amanda isn't because we don't want them, it's because she doesn't want them

all gateworld can do is contact the actor's agent and say 'we'd like to talk to ______, here' how to contact us if s/he wants to talk' and then wait for a response

as to the lack of amanda in the spoilers, well we'll just have to wait. maybe it's just an oversight, maybe it's because tptb only want to put forth the three male members of the cast, maybe amanda has a 5 episode arc coming up at the end of the season. We don't know. they're beyond cagey wtih spoilers right not and, imho, desperate, desperate and frantic to promote this season

The kind of person you all say Amanda is (those of you who have been around her), I can't believe she wouldn't make time to give one GW interview.....unless there was a dispute over what would be said in that interview (i.e., refusal to hype S9 at RDA's expense, maybe?). Sky knows much more about how these things work in the GW universe than I do, but Amanda's absence is beginning to be conspicuous. Either there are some real internal politics going on here, or TPTB is playing us......again. Or, they're taking her character in an entirely different direction that we have no clue about yet.....

[ForeverSg1]

Well I just posted this question to JM on this thread. Not really expecting a response, but hopefully if I do get one it won't be vague.

http://forum.gateworld.net/showpost....postcount=1189

[Token]

you know, i personally DREAD a season 9 solely in the hands of the three stooges. I'm absolutely cringing at the idea of 20 episodes chock full of PdL's idea of humor (ie the sexully laden innuendo) and i'm saddened to potentially see a good tv show sacrificed on the altar of fanboy mentality

but

I would rather amanda devote herself to olivia and her family then to the show. Family is forever, this show has never been anything more than a temporary job (8 years is still temporary)

I'd rather not see her and have her family come first. I've got 8 years worth of dvd's and 150megs of fanfic to fall back on

I agree. I'm holding my decision on Season 9 until I know what TPTB are doing with my favorite character. As painful as it is, I can live without Jack being a constant presence; however, if Sam is relegated to the "scientist-in-the-corner-fixing-the-what's-it-in-order-to-save-the-men" member of SG-1 then TPTB can forget about me sticking around.

I understand Amanda's decision to be with her family. I gave up my career to be at home and homeschool my two children. So, I totally know that family is more important than work. But what is wrong with TPTB saying that? As weird as some fans may seem to TPTB, most of us genuinely care for the actors and want the best for them. Most fans can understand how a baby changes a person's life, but IMHO silence gets fans concerned because we want to know that the actor/actress is doing well and everything is OK. I understand the need for privacy, but a simple statement could dismiss alot.

[binkpmmc]

I just want to be clear - I agree 100% if that is what AT wants that is her decision and I will back that 100%. The silence is what is bothersome, if it is ATs decision I see no reason to let it continue on the way it is - they could have said a long time ago that she is cutting back and Carter will be written to accomodate her schedule and her choices - there is nothing wrong with them saying this to the fans so that they do not keep hope and so that everyone knows going in that is the case so there is no disappointment. If it is truly the case that AT wants the shortened hours and lesser role (or if TPTB are planning it this way even if it is not AT's decision) then they should be honest and upfront about it not deceitful to string along some of the fans who might otherwise choose to move on. I am not looking for details or anything else, some small tidbits to let us know Carter is there, to let us know she is on the team, to let us know she will play a role of some sort, to let us know we are not wasting our time, to let us know it is AT's decision would be best to say now or else I for one will feel beytrayed and used and will walk away from the show in anger and disgust as opposed to maybe accepting it if they were to be honest about it.

[Skydiver]

The kind of person you all say Amanda is (those of you who have been around her), I can't believe she wouldn't make time to give one GW interview.....unless there was a dispute over what would be said in that interview (i.e., refusal to hype S9 at RDA's expense, maybe?). Sky knows much more about how these things work in the GW universe than I do, but Amanda's absence is beginning to be conspicuous. Either there are some real internal politics going on here, or TPTB is playing us......again. Or, they're taking her character in an entirely different direction that we have no clue about yet.....

oh please, if they were doing that they'd have to GASP acknowledge that she exists.

sorry, i'm tired and grumpy so please feel free to just skip past my ranting. The more i hear about s9 and the less i hear about amanda the more i get the feeling that, for whatever reasons, she's being deliberately and purposefully excluded from the show. S9 appears to be the year of the stooges.

whatever.

we'll find out in a few months if i'm wrong and eating my words and apologizing or if i'm finding out for a fact that my favorite show is dying a slow and painful death, sacrificed on the alter of cheap laughs, sex jokes and endless 'homages' to every single movie known to man

[binkpmmc]

. . . however, if Sam is relegated to the "scientist-in-the-corner-fixing-the-what's-it-in-order-to-save-the-men" member of SG-1 then TPTB can forget about me sticking around.

I'll be right behind you (maybe in front of you).

I understand Amanda's decision to be with her family. But what is wrong with TPTB saying that? . . . but IMHO silence gets fans concerned because we want to know that the actor/actress is doing well and everything is OK. I understand the need for privacy, but a simple statement could dismiss alot.

Exactly.

[sg-1fanintn]

oh please, if they were doing that they'd have to GASP acknowledge that she exists.

sorry, i'm tired and grumpy so please feel free to just skip past my ranting. The more i hear about s9 and the less i hear about amanda the more i get the feeling that, for whatever reasons, she's being deliberately and purposefully excluded from the show. S9 appears to be the year of the stooges.

whatever.

we'll find out in a few months if i'm wrong and eating my words and apologizing or if i'm finding out for a fact that my favorite show is dying a slow and painful death, sacrificed on the alter of cheap laughs, sex jokes and endless 'homages' to every single movie known to man

Hey, this is the place where you can come to rant. Most of us can't find anyone in our circles of family and friends who want to hear about this.

We share the same fears, Sky. Either something is going on, or we're being played big-time.....

Well I just posted this question to JM on this thread. Not really expecting a response, but hopefully if I do get one it won't be vague.

http://forum.gateworld.net/showpost....postcount=1189

Well worded, ForeverSg1. I wish you better luck with JM than I have had! Let us know what he says (or doesn't say).....

Nighty-night. It's time to go dream some nice shippy dreams.

[the dancer of spaz]

Personally, I've always been a fan of the team as a whole. However, if the team can no longer be whole (i.e. with the original four team members), I would respectfully request that Sam remain in a starring capacity - barring any real life conflicts with motherhood, of course.

I really do love Daniel and Teal'c, but I am a woman, and I like seeing someone represent our gender the way Sam has! That may sound supremely lame, but it's how I feel.

I don't want to jump to conclusions or accuse TPTB in any way. I respect them and can't even fathom the practical difficulties that come with promoting a show. I can only imagine the pep talks both cast and crew have had to have before they're interviewed, you know? Even if their fun and energy is genuine, there's gotta be a level at which SciFi wants them to keep the hype. And it's probably pretty high. I used to naively think that the Stargate franchise was above that, until I realized that NO ONE is above that. It's just the way the business works.

I agree with you guys: It's definitely odd that stuff hasn't come out about AT's involvement or Sam's placement in the team. I noticed the COMPLETE lack of Sam in those "Prototype" spoilers, and I tried my hardest not to be extremely irked. Then I found that I wasn't the only one who noticed it, and the annoyance came back!

And, as fervent as bink has been, I definitely agree with you: They need to address just WHY they've been so vague, especially if it is AT's decision. That reason can only extend to any interviews she might have. It's odd that TPTB have said no more than a sentence or two in regards to her return, and the ACTORS, whom she has developed a relationship with for eight years, have said pretty much zilch.

At the end of S5, Daniel/MS was supposed to be gone for a year, and it kinda seems like TPTB were falling all over themselves to show the fans which eps he was gonna be in for season six. I don't want to compare the two actors/characters, but the evasion is a little obnoxious.

[Agent_Dark]

Hehe, abit OT... but LOL! at your sig Spaz!

[majorsal]

i'm frustrated about the lack of sam/amanda promotion too, but i'm going (try) to give the ptb the benefit of the doubt *because* i know how much they care for and admire amanda. so putting that in mind, it gives me the impression that spoilers for her are purposely being held back. why? to irritate the fans? sounds stupid to me, since they 'want' us to come along for the 'new stargate' ride. so.... i'm thinking something good is coming for sam, because i can't think of any logical reason for holding back other than not liking the character/actor (which is so the opposite). like bink said, just say something, anything to explain things, but since they haven't... i'm getting vibes something's coming. and it could be great for sam. i'm going to hold on a bit longer and try to stay positive.

(((samanda)))


here's to sam in season 9!!!


sally

[chocdoc]

The more i hear about s9 and the less i hear about amanda the more i get the feeling that, for whatever reasons, she's being deliberately and purposefully excluded from the show. S9 appears to be the year of the stooges.

I just read the spoilers for Prototype, and yes, it is depressing. We haven't seen anything yet that indicates that Sam is actually a part of the SG1 TEAM. We have no idea what her actual role is yet, except that she is at Stargate Command when she returns. I find it interesting that we have so few spoilers on ones that she MAY be in, such as Beach Head, Collateral Damage, the Order, and so little for the ones where she is mentioned.

Is she a part of the team at some point or not?

Skydiver---why would TPTB actually deliberately and purposefully exclude AT/Sam from the show? I thought they admired and valued her? Clearly she has proven over and over again that she is an excellent actress.

I do fear that they are not going to write Sam as the leader of SG1 when she returns because they may fear that a female leader of a team that sees alot of action will not get the ratings. If they do think this, I think they are wrong. The TPTB are probably not willing to take the risk for her to be leader, nor do they know how to write Sam as the leader. They have to write about a leadership style that is different from a typical male lead, and they may not know how to do this.

If two things come together ---Sam being wallpapered and AT not happy about it---I definitely would help in a writing campaign.

For now, before the TPTB have written all the stories for season 9, the blue jello campaign seems like a great one---not offensive and waiting to say something may be too late.

[Simhavaktra]

I sympathize, binkpmmc; waiting is hard and frustrating.

But.

I nursed my kids (all 4 of them) and believe me when I tell you that AT does not have 20 minutes at this point in time to devote to interviews. Even with a reduced acting schedule she's gonna be one busy - and exhausted - lady for the next six months or so.

Busy, exhausted, and, I hope, happy. It’s a wonderful thing when someone who wants children, and has been trying, finally has a child, and there’s no end to how pleased I am for, and my congratulations to, Amanda that (and Allan since I’m sure he had something to do with it! ) she (they ) have Olivia. I can understand that Amanda’s probably in that mode where, when one sits down for an instant, sleep takes the opportunity to launch an attack – and a lot of those attacks are successful! Having been there myself (no kids, but I do have a job where 10 hour days are par for the course, and the time/energy commitment only goes up from there) I can empathize with the idea that even a 20 minute interview might be one task too many in Amanda’s day. As Jack might say, I’m good with that. But there’re aspects of the situation that I’m not good with.

I think I need to insert Crankiness / Ranting / and maybe Sarcasm warnings about now/here, so please consider this a warning for the rest of this message….

I gather that as a fan I’m expected to take all the pronouncements of camaraderie and enjoyment and impending great things at face value, and that I’m meant to be impressed by the frequency and amplitude of the ‘Season 9 equals exceptional way-coolness’ vibes pouring out of Bridge, and, maybe I will be bowled over by season 9, but, its publicity isn’t impressing me at this time. Baby Olivia can’t be influencing the amount of time available for everyone else in the production who’s giving interviews / answering questions / compiling promos / writing blogs in quite the same way she’s doubtless impacting her mom’s schedule.

So… why isn’t anyone saying/blogging something to the effect that it’s good (hopefully fantastically good) to have Amanda back on the set? How good her work is? How well she works with/opposite wunderkinder Browder and Black? Why not cut that bit from the Lowdown about “Carter is hot” into the promos to go with the motif of Vala’s Avalon costume? Pop in some shots of her there at the Stargate from her promotion to Lieutenant Colonel, or Janet’s eulogy, to match the shot of Lt. Colonel Mitchell doing the ‘touch the Stargate reverently’ thingee?

I don’t know why none of these simple things are being done, and I freely admit I don’t know why, And yes, all speculation as to why is nothing but speculation. And, I would fully support Amanda Tapping’s own decisions about how to handle her participation in this new season, because it is her life and it should be her decision. I suppose I just don’t like the idea that all this paucity of Sam and Amanda in the midst of this abundance of publicity on Season 9 has reached the level where it’s produced a negative view of the new season, the TPTB, and the future of Stargate for me, and, there’s no apparent relief coming. I lurk around various forums and lists quite politely, and hear nothing at all about what interests me in Stargate. I’m beginning to consider a question on the “Ask JM” thread along the lines of “Mr. Mallozzi, can you tell me if I’m going to be watching Stargate SG-1 anymore, because if the utterly lame spoilers and publicity regarding Sam’s character in The Glory That Will Be Season 9 are indicative that she’s going to be subject to lame writing and plotting, like not giving her command of SG1, or relegating her to the position of the designated emotional-character-whose-ability-to-fax-is-as-noteworthy-as-her-degree-in-physics, or lessening the character’s importance to the Stargate program, or reducing the strength, intelligence, integrity, skill, and drive of the character, or upping her screw-up rating, to make her fit into a new place in the structure of the show, then I’m no longer one of your viewers.” (Don’t worry – I won’t do it, at least not without a re-write. Simha knows she knows sarcasm. )

The publicity for The Glory That Will Be Season 9appears to have been strategized, planned, and, at least in some cases, scripted. TPTB are showing us what they want to show us. Yes, they’re showing us what they want to show us from what they have to work with, and they may not have had anything new of Sam/Amanda to work with early in the new season’s production, but, they do have Sam items they could show us, nonetheless – witness the season 7 Sam clip in the original “meet the new team” promo – Sam video, AT interview video, Sam stills, AT stills, the entire English language with which to put words into people’s mouths and onto computer screens. Nonetheless, we’re not even getting enough Sam / Amanda publicity / promo content to qualify as ‘not much’. After a while at this, one finds oneself wondering if the practically nil state of Season 9 Sam info is deliberate, and one begins to speculate that TPTB are making the best of their Sam-less/AT-less state by trying to raise anticipation, discussion, and interest by saying nothing. Then, when AT has been back to work long enough for at least one of the episodes in which she’ll appear to be ‘in the can’, and still, not even a whiff of a paean to her contributions to The Glory That Will Be Season 9 has been aired in public, one (okay, I ) begin(s) to entertain even more uncomfortable speculation. Is/are Amanda/Sam somehow not seen as contributing to The Glory That Will Be Season 9 (sorry, that’s how all the publicity has led me to think of it )? Is the reason for AT’s absence, pregnancy, seen as being in conflict with the apparent pursuit of the young, male demographic (that demographic being stereotypically seen as holding pregnancy to be deeply uncool, at best, and pregnant women and new mothers as nothing like ‘tasty’ in general) and, hence, Amanda, and Sam, aren’t being mentioned or seen lest the dreadful ‘pregnancy’ or ‘mommy’ words be said? Has someone tumbled to the fact that the thought of women with degrees in science and engineering, especially ones who wield weapons, has been known to make young adult males cross their legs protectively on general principles, no matter how good looking those women are? Have they realized that many young males don’t like women, even women in their fantasy worlds, to be cooler / stronger / fiercer / smarter / just plain more than they are? Do Amanda’s coworkers, whom the fans have been given to understand hold her in high regard and esteem as a person and a professional, actually have not so much as a thought of her or about her in their minds – no one misses her, or her contributions, or even her character? Do they think that no one notices the lack of mention of AT and Sam? Those ideas disturb me, a lot.

After decades of sci-fi, I find I’m so jaded that I consider all uses of the Arthurian mythos in non-Arthurian material to be guilty of cynical cultural exploitation until proven innocent, so I don’t find the idea of Merlin-is-an-Ancient-and-the-Sword-In-The-Stone-shows-up-and-there’s-a-swordfight!!!! even slightly cool, much less view it as conferring heroic legitimacy on the character of Mitchell. I’ve been wondering for years when someone was going to explain why the oh-so-admirable-Ancients created such terrible weapons and left such dangerous devices littering the galaxy, so I’m not even slightly intrigued by the idea that not all the Ancients were good guys, regardless of whether they all glow. I don’t want to watch Manny, Moe, and Not-Jack do the boys will be boys routine with Vala as the scantily dressed woman who’s apparently de rigueur when boys are being action boys – especially sci-fi action boys, I believe, harkening back to the days when one had to put sci-fi novels down front-cover-to-horizontal-surface so as to avoid parental discussions of the attire of the purported heroines’ depicted thereon.

So far, TPTB are doing a nice job of inducing a state of negative anticipation in me regarding The Glory That Will Be Season 9, and they could reverse that with some good news about Sam, heck, any news about Sam.

::shakes head:: It is late, and I apologize both for ranting and spreading depression and sarcasm far and wide. I’ll just go haul my Holter’ed carcass into bed, and join everyone in hoping my mood improves by morning.

Simha