Jack O'Neill/ Sam Carter - Part of a team, not a ship

[Frostfox]

Season 9 (Ex Deus Machina)

Spoiler:

In this past Friday's ep, Sam tells someone that she broke up with Pete and he asks her if that means she's single now. She says "not exactly" and that's the last we hear of it. It could mean anything, but given TPTB's track record, it's hard not to think they're inferring some commitment between her and Jack.

That's vague, I can live with vague, that could just mean she's out of the dating game for awhile after poor Pete. If I broke up with my fiance, I'd need a cooling off period too.
But it's back to Sam again, it makes her look so weak, she's the one who carries the bulk of the ship, she's only been back two weeks and they can't let her stand on her own two feet, they have to keep referring back to the holy grail of Sam 'n Sir.

NOTE TO TPTB - Sam Carter is much more interesting than Sam Carter's lovelife. She is a strong, independant, professional woman, she doesn't need to be defined by who she's shagging. We don't define Daniel or Teal'c or Mitchell by who they bed, why should we do that with Sam? Got that? Thank you.

FF

[ShadowMaat]

Like I said, TPTB think they're being really cute and clever with comments like that, BC, but it's just lame. Or I think it is, anyway. Either say it or don't, but all this waffling makes THEM look bad, it makes the characters look bad, and it makes the show as a whole look soapy and pathetic.

Again, my opinion.

[Beta Candy]

It is vague, but I'm so sick of the whole song and dance from TPTB that I can't help resenting it even so. That said, one thing occurred to me:

Spoiler:

AT looked unhappy delivering the line. You'd think if Sam was finally in her happy place with Jack, she'd look at least a little cheeky if not outright happy when making a reference to it. Now, it could be that the line IS referencing Jack and AT hated it, and that was AT's unhappiness with the line showing through.

Or it could be that Sam is uncomfortable because it's nothing so lovely as finally banging Sir: maybe she's "not exactly single" in the sense that she's sworn off dating until she gets her head on straight after the whole Pete thing. Meaning, yeah, she's single, but she's not available. I'd be pleased if that was what it meant. But I'd still be annoyed that instead of saying what they mean one way or another, they're going to keep stringing along S/J shippers until the bitter end.

Am I overdoing the spoiler tags? I don't know if these eps have aired everywhere yet or not, so I'm being cautious.

[yasureubetcha]

Spoiler:

I just saw it as the awkwardness she feels because of Barrett's unrequited interest in her. As long as things were professional between them, she was fine, but she got uncomfortable when Barrett brought up romance because she knows how he feels, but doesn't return the feeling.

I almost wish she would conclusively say "I'm with Jack," though, because now that he's gone, that would mean the whole issue would probably never have to be dealt with again. Sam's love life could be as far removed from the show as RDA now is, 'shippers could have their day, and SG1 could get back to the business at hand: defending Earth and its allies. As long as the question remains, it will continue to be brought up episode after episode, like the turning of thumbscrews. As far as I'm concerned, Sam and Jack are completely wrong for each other, but it's far too late to hope for anything except a quick and merciful end to the whole thing, instead of another season twisted around Sam's romantic exploits.

[Frostfox]

It is vague, but I'm so sick of the whole song and dance from TPTB that I can't help resenting it even so. That said, one thing occurred to me:

Spoiler:

AT looked unhappy delivering the line. You'd think if Sam was finally in her happy place with Jack, she'd look at least a little cheeky if not outright happy when making a reference to it. Now, it could be that the line IS referencing Jack and AT hated it, and that was AT's unhappiness with the line showing through.

Am I overdoing the spoiler tags? I don't know if these eps have aired everywhere yet or not, so I'm being cautious.

Better safe than sorry with spoilers, it's not fair to ruin someone else's fun when a spoiler space is so easy to add. You did the right thing.

I can't get worked up over two words, I'm afraid!
There were much more interesting things going on in the episode for such a brief, ambiguous scene to get under my skin, it was what, 30 seconds?

I find 'Sam 'n Sir' distasteful but only when it's there on screen, most of the time I don't think about it very much and with Jack gone, it's becoming more and more irrelevant, it's not a part of the show any more, thank heavens.
But I've got this thread tagged because it leads to such interesting discussions.

Anyway, back to this episode - There were too many plot holes, I think it was the weakest of the season so far but still a cut above a lot of season eight.

Spoiler:

I thought the Jaffa stuff was fabulous (but then I liked Bajoran politics in DS9 so that sort of thing always appeals to me). The NID/Trust story doesn't appeal so much and strangely, I think I want a Mitchell story now, he's not been highlighted yet, I think it's about time we got to know him better.

Oh, and even more off topic, Michael Shanks must have a Dorian Grey type portrait in the attic, he gets younger and cuter as season nine goes on.

FF, off to the MS thunk thread to drool with the hussies.

[jckfan55]

NOTE TO TPTB - Sam Carter is much more interesting than Sam Carter's lovelife. She is a strong, independant, professional woman, she doesn't need to be defined by who she's shagging. We don't define Daniel or Teal'c or Mitchell by who they bed, why should we do that with Sam? Got that? Thank you.

FF

Yeah, AT says they went overboard on the lovelife thing too. I choose to ignore the "not exactly" line.

[AGateFan]

I'm hopeful that that one little line signifies the end of the entire thing. Everyone can take the meaning they like from it and thus be happy (except the really hard core people on both sides, but they wont be happy anyway, IMHO).

Hopefully the days of learning of Sams personal life are now over. I mean it’s ok to get a line or two about some family or friends from any of the characters so we can learn more about them but that should be it. And I think this particular plot point has exceeded that one or two lines and should never be mentioned again. I mean, we haven’t learned about anyone else’s personal life like this. Heck we never even really learned about Jack and he is supposed to be involved in the whole sam\jack thing.

As far as I can tell (and like) this is not a soap opera or a show about people’s lives or personal relationships. This is a fun action\adventure (with humor) show about saving the world and exploring the universe. I think this is what has kept the show so popular for so long not the UST.

So I reiterate. Let’s hope and pray this is the last mention of this. That line should be enough to put everyone in their happy place, no reason to go scrwin it up by taking this any further. Just MHO btw.

[Ali888]

Is it possible that she is not at all interested in the guy and wants to let him down gently instead of hurting him, so she hints that she's seeing someone else?

[Frostfox]

Is it possible that she is not at all interested in the guy and wants to let him down gently instead of hurting him, so she hints that she's seeing someone else?

Quite possible, Ali888, Sam is a nice person*, I can't see her wanting to upset or hurt Barratt, it was a safe, neutral answer which should make him leave her alone but wasn't an out and out rejection.


FF

*with the caveat that she was just horrible in how she dumped Pete but I blame the writers for that, not Sam, it was out of character and clumsily done and I don't really want to think of any character I like acting so cold and selfish and nasty.

[Cory Holmes]

Of course, it could mean that Sam

Spoiler:

finally gave into her feelings for Rodney and his advances during his last visit to Earth

[yasureubetcha]

ANYBODY who 'ships sam with anyone (including me, see Ba'al/Sam thread ) is busy twisting that scene to support his/her pet 'ship. There IS an advantage to that sort of vague waffling, despite its drawbacks .

[paulacole]

Hello,

I'm new here and I haven't read all of the messages yet so forgive me if I repeat stuff other people have said.

I absoluted HATE the way they did the SamJack story. I'm a SamDan shipper myself, but I would have minded an SJ thing IF THEY'D DONE IT HALFWAY PROPERLY! I cannot believe what a hash they made of things. Like instead of just putting them together, they contrived a bunch of AU/amnesia/fantasy storylines that 'don't count'. EITHER GET IT TOGETHER OR LET IT GO! They went halfway and half-assed, and in the process, they wrecked every relatinship Sam had with a guy - Daniel, Narim, Martouf, McKay. I'd seen most of Atantis s1 by the time I got around to watching seasons five and six, and I was appalled by what a 2D character they'd made him originally, like lets introduce this arrogant chevenist just to make Sam and Jack look better. It's ironic because I think they went halfway as a means of compromising between the shippers who wanted a romance and everyone else that didn't - but this way, everyone else hates it, and a lot of the shippers aren't too impressed either.

I could rant like this for hours...

[TracysTrails]

NOTE TO TPTB - Sam Carter is much more interesting than Sam Carter's lovelife. She is a strong, independant, professional woman, she doesn't need to be defined by who she's shagging. We don't define Daniel or Teal'c or Mitchell by who they bed, why should we do that with Sam? Got that? Thank you.

FF

Yeah! What you said!

And I can live with vague, too, to a certain extent. After all, they DID give a very clear reason for her absence for those first few eps and it could be that Cassie is her reason for saying that she's not exactly single. She might have Cassie with her now, who has some problems and this is NOT a good time for her to start a romantic relationship with someone, hence the 'not exactly'.

Well, that's what I think, anyway, because I absolutely detested the Sam and Jack thing. Their 'ship went over like a turd in a punchbowl with me.

[jerin]

Hello,

I'm new here and I haven't read all of the messages yet so forgive me if I repeat stuff other people have said.

I absoluted HATE the way they did the SamJack story. I'm a SamDan shipper myself, but I would have minded an SJ thing IF THEY'D DONE IT HALFWAY PROPERLY! I cannot believe what a hash they made of things. Like instead of just putting them together, they contrived a bunch of AU/amnesia/fantasy storylines that 'don't count'. EITHER GET IT TOGETHER OR LET IT GO! They went halfway and half-assed, and in the process, they wrecked every relatinship Sam had with a guy - Daniel, Narim, Martouf, McKay. I'd seen most of Atantis s1 by the time I got around to watching seasons five and six, and I was appalled by what a 2D character they'd made him originally, like lets introduce this arrogant chevenist just to make Sam and Jack look better. It's ironic because I think they went halfway as a means of compromising between the shippers who wanted a romance and everyone else that didn't - but this way, everyone else hates it, and a lot of the shippers aren't too impressed either.

I could rant like this for hours...

You & I both could rant for hours. I'm also a Sam/Danny shipper. Welcome aboard.

[Gaterelle]

Of course, it could mean that Sam

Spoiler:

finally gave into her feelings for Rodney and his advances during his last visit to Earth

Of course! I'm right with you on that one.