Sam Articles

Major Sam Carter Fan Articles

What Do We Like Most About Sam?

Articles by:
Adi
Amintpolo
Bruni
CA
Denise
Elyse

Geonn
Graculus
Missy
Nausica
Nicky
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Wendy G

Sam as 'The Girl'
by Lori

Sam and Teal'c in Season 4
by Lori

The following was asked on SG1HC and Sam and Teal'c lists and passed on to other lists during season 5.

Lori asked of fans:
What was the episode that made you realize Sam Carter was a character you *really* loved? What are the characteristics of Sam you like the most? What do you think are her defining characteristics? What aspects of her character have you been pleased to see explored? What aspects of her character do you think have been adequately explored? What aspects would you like to see explored more? (The Jolinar storyline? Her relationship with her father? Her relationship with her brother? Her friendships with the other team members?) Do you most like seeing her as a soldier? An astrophysicist? Someone blended with a Tok'ra? Friend of Teal'c, Daniel and Jack? Friend of Janet? Step-parent to Cassandra? All of the above? What episodes do you think portray her best? When did you feel you were learning things about her you didn't know before?

Many thanks to the list members who gave their permission for us to have their posts on this site.

I know what you mean about missing the "point" of Samantha Carter. If anyone here read the book "Mists Of Avalon." And then saw the mini-series knows what you mean. It was good, the actors were fab, the writing was nice, but they missed the whole point of the conflict within Mists. Its as though they completely lost all the depth that was present in the book.

So when did I realize that Sam was my favorite charactor. Well I have to point out that I pretty much started watching from the second or third season and I don't even remember the first few eps that I watched. But I can safely say that COTG was not Sam's brightest moment. So knowing me I would probably have to say In The Line Of Duty, but that wasn't really Sam was it? I guess AT won me over with her acting. Not many people can play a charactor thats being played by someone else. . . for those who I've just confused I mean that she played Jolinar playing Sam very well.

What amazes me about Sam is that there hasn't been that much depth written to her, but we're able to see it through the subtleness thats either directed in or that AT sneaked in. So I guess its not Sam that I love, but rather AT playing Sam . . . or something...

I'm not sure what episodes made me realize that Sam Carter was a character I loved. Although I know it wasnt the first few episodes. I agree COTG was not the brightest moment for SC. Whenever I watch the scene where Sam and Jack meet I cant help but cringe all the way through it.

I think the reason I like Sam's character so much is that AT does do a great job of always showing us what SC is feeling without words.

One of my favourite episodes is 'Small Victories.' We get to see the more fun and relaxed side to Carter. I'm really glad they explored this as well as in 'Upgrades' where she disobeys orders with the others (granted the reason was because she wasnt in the right state of mind). But I would like to see more of these moments.

Well we already know the team are close, but I cant help but want to see more scenes that show how well they have bonded. I still like seeing the soldier in her though.

amintpolo

"What was the episode that made you realize Sam Carter was a character you *really* loved?"

I liked her from the very beginning. I am a big Sam fan. Okay, that first confrontation in CotG was a bit strong, but the guys deserved it, IMO. The way they were baiting Sam didn't leave her a lot of options. She was a professional, but all they seemed to see was the woman. So she needed to ascertain her authority as a scientist AND a member of the military, if she wanted to be more than wallpaper on the team. And she wanted on the team ... badly, so badly that she was prepared to ignore all the rules and regulations regarding the behaviour of junior officers towards senior ones. All she is focussed on is becoming a member of the team that goes through the Stargate.

She spent two years working on a project that somebody else solved. That must have rankled. Throughout the show, I always see Sam as someone who needs to be tops in everything she does. She doesn't take kindly to failing. An in-depth psychology evaluation as to the reasons for that would certainly be interesting. MO is that her driving need is to impress Daddy, impress him and make up to him for her brother's aversion of the military. That has formed her. That has made her the tightly focussed person she is.

Singularity, for going against everything she was taught. She did the unthinkable and actually DISOBEYED an order! She broke the hold the military had on her to follow her feelings. And I'm sure she worked hard at burying those feelings. So, how much harder must it have been for her to break out of that conditioning? But she did it!

Solitudes, as it is a great episode for her to show both her strength and her weakness. With Jack out of the picture, she has to rely on herself only for getting them out. She uses everything she knows to get the DHD to work, and she works her ass off. But when everything has failed, she gives up. Her strength turns out to be her weakness. When science lets her down, she is unable to go beyond it. Here is that being-tightly-focussed-to-the-exclusion-of-everything-else thing again. Something similar happens later, e.g. in Scorched Earth, I think. She can't break the pattern, because she can't see anything beyond what she knows. As often as she saves the day with what she knows, as often does that same knowledge prove to be a liability. There isn't much room for fantasy in her life. Which, IMO, is why she couldn't solve the Stargate mystery in the first place (to get back to the pilot).

The whole Jolinar story line, because it gave her another purpose on the show. At first, she was no longer the female genius who could solve any problem she was presented with. This time she got hit - and badly. She was vulnerable and had lost control over her own body. And even worse, she was too helpless to get out on her own again. Then, much later, she met her "invader's" past. It opened up new possibilities for her. By following that road she might have discovered a lot of things about both herself and the Tok'ra. But she didn't.

I have never been quite sure if not doing anything about that wasn't a genius strike on the part of the writers. At least to me, it shows a lot of the denial Sam must have subjected herself to. She never did anything about things like the healing device or the Goa'uld weapon, and she kept on ignoring Martouf and his history with Jolinar/Rosha. To me Sam is a master of denying anything that doesn't fit into her way of thinking or her plans for her life. She doesn't like it, it gets buried.

On the other hand, I think she has learned a lot from all of her team mates. Daniel has taught her a bit of free thinking, of allowing fantasy to enter her strict, scientific equations. It doesn't always work for her, but she tries. From Jack she gets a lot of his disgust at certain ways of the military. The more the show goes on, the more she starts to question the military mindset, and sometimes she even questions orders and those who give them. Teal'c's very presence is a constant reminder for her that things are seldom what they appear. He questions everything, from Apophis and his claim of being God to the simple matter of going out into the American "wilderness" unarmed. When he wonders at the strange culture he lives in, she gets a chance to observe what she knows with a different set of eyes.

That the Sam of the later seasons is in many ways different from the early Sam is due to her team mates' influence. It's due to her upbringing that she hasn't changed more.

For me Sam Carter is a very good example of a female character on a predominantly SciFi/military show. She is strong, intelligent and hard when it is necessary, but also compassionate and caring. She has many strengths, but just as many weaknesses. She doesn't need to be a love interest to be interesting.

During the show we have seen many sides of her character. They haven't been explored very deeply, that is right, but it is, after all, only a 45-min. show. We always have fantasy and fanfic to fill in the gaps.

I've liked Sam from the very beginning. She came on a little strong when she first met Jack and the other guys, but part of that was the way Hammond introduced her. She was immediately on the defensive because they were suprised that Sam Carter was a girl. I even thought the part where she tried to overcompensate was funny as they entered the Stargate for the first time. "You really will like me..."

Sam was stumbling all over herself in the first part of the episode but that's why I knew I was going to like her. She wasn't going to be perfect. She was normal. It took her awhile to get used to these people. She was also dealing with the fact that she had spent more time on the project than anyone there, including Daniel and was just now getting to realise her dream of going through the Stargate.

I like the way she and Daniel hit it off from the very beginning. That whole sibling thing was born almost instantly. My favorite early eps with her were the Nox and Singularity. We see that she has not sacrificed her feminimity to exist in the so called man's world. We get to see the nurturing side of Sam, yet at the same time we know she can be a tough leader when she needs to be- and sometimes those two qualities aren't so very far apart.

What really impresses me is that sure she wears some make-up, but she's not all glitzed up with perfect hair and ten layers of paint or running around half naked. She looks like a soldier. She doesnt' care if her hair gets mussy. She doesn't care if the shots are less than flattering. She isn't sashaying around every planet looking sexy. She's there to do a job and she's not so shallow as to worry how she looks every ten seconds.

As I mentioned, I like her big sister relationship with Daniel, and her easy friendship with Teal'c. I've always been a touch of a closet shipper, but I really don't want to see time wasted on a relationship between her and Jack when it can't possibly go anywhere unless Jack retires or she is no longer on the team. The team comes first and I like that they both have made that conscious decision. There's a healthy mutual attraction between them as two consenting adults, but Sara was Jack's true love and I think Joe or Martouf would have been Sam's. A relationship between Jack and Sam would be more based on respect, attraction and friendship than true love. Besides - I don't think she could ever quit calling him sir... :-) - which could get a little weird.

I'd like to see more between her and Teal'c and of course Jack and Daniel. I love Jacob Carter. They have a really neat relationship. I think anymore time spent on her brother wouldn't be productive to the plot or the growth of the characters so we really don't need to see that.

Sometimes I worry about Sam's mental health - especially after this season. She has lost more people than Daniel now and like most season five deaths they've been unnecessary losses. But what's done is done and I'd like to see her deal with this occasionally. I was glad that they mentioned in Summit that she had been trying to get answers about Martouf for months. There's not always time to follow up with all details but little bits like that show us that these incidents aren't completly forgotten when the last scene fades out.

Sam's best quality is her ability to combine her best qualities. She is intelligent, military, and compassionate without sacrificing one for the other.

Like some others I think they've gone a bit too far with Sam knowing everything. This is starting to look like the SuperSam show and I think that hurts Jack's intelligence, and Daniel and Teal'c's screen time, but I don't blame that on the character. It's something that needs to be fixed, but it's not gotten so far out of hand that it can't be resolved.

The final straw for me was Sam telling Jack how to disarm a bomb, though I could easily be convinced that Jack was just letting her talk because he knew she needed to. He kept saying, I know that or I guessed that... but she kept talking and it's like Jack to let them do that if it acheives and end. Of course, Jack being Jack, once they acheive that end that's it for the techno babble.

All in all she's a wonderful character, a great role model for girls. It's okay to be smart, feminine, strong and nurturing all at the same time- but we all know that- right?

"What was the episode that made you realize Sam Carter was a character you *really* loved?"

At first, she got on my nerves. While the 'wanna arm wrestle' scene was cute...I cringed. as a woman who works in male dominated fields, you don't get their respect by out-toughing them, you get it by doing your job and NOT playing the 'I'm a girl' card. But Sam got better. And in the beginning she even had a few good lines. 'I though about doing my living room like this...' and so on. I liked the fact that she was a girl who wasn't there to be a) the star's girlfriend(no comment on season 4) b) to die and thus give the star a reason for vengeance. (Guess that's what Shau'ri was). Sam grew and changed and became more a part of the team as time went on. Honestly I think i liked that fact that she was simply there, allowed to be a female, and still kick butt with the boys. This was no femme fatale. She could and did hold her own. And I liked that.

I love how she mixes compassion with attitude. These are her guys, she cares for them, but she'll also get the job done. She doesn't get where she's going by wiles or trickery, she gets there simply on her merits. She has a loyalty to the guys and respects them...but then you see her soft side like when she gave Hammond a hug in Chain Reaction.

Determination. Put her in front of a problem and she'll fix it or die trying. She doesn't look for the easy way out, she looks for the best way. And if you compare a rather naive Sam of season 1 with the Sam now...she's a lot different. Season 1 Sam wouldn't have stood up to Simmons. She's confident and competant.

"What aspects would you like to see explored more? (The Jolinar storyline? Her relationship with her father? Her relationship with her brother? Her friendships with the other team members?)"

I'd love to see them let her loosen up more. Rank and all that aside, she's been in the SGC for 5 years and at the side of Jack and Hammond for five years, she can be respectfully casual with them. I'd love to see her let her hair down a bit, show a few flaws. I adore Sam, I've made no secret of that fact, but I would love to see her make a mistake, or not have the answer. We've seen Jack fishing, let's have a glimpse of the person behind the rank

I'd love for more bits like in Upgrades. Maybe them hanging together is only suited for the realm of fan fic but more interpersonal reactions would be nice.

"Do you most like seeing her as a soldier? An astrophysicist? Someone blended with a Tok'ra? Friend of Teal'c, Daniel and Jack? Friend of Janet? Step-parent to Cassandra? All of the above?"

All of the above because that's what she is. She wears so many hats you know they have to conflict sometime...it would be interesting to see that conflict more often.

"What episodes do you think portray her best? When did you feel you were learning things about her you didn't know before?"

Singularity was a great episode. That elevator scene gets me every time. And I know TDYK wasn't even a dream in the writer's mind then but it parallels her past so well that when you know she lost her mother too, it gets you even more.

Solitudes was good also, in fact I liked it even better that she was the one relatively uninjured. It made it even better for me to see how she'd react having to take charge so to speak. The Tokra was also another good one. I saw in it, or maybe I just projected it, that Teal'c backs her up with Jolinar's memories, the loyalty of her friends to go off on the basis of a dream, her caring for her dad even though they were estranged. It was a theme that was repeated in Jolinar's Memories and TDYK. I love the irony that Apophis saved her life.

I guess I've never not liked Sam; she's always been a great character, and like Daniel, she's got this overwhelming enthusiasm for her work.

I recall somewhere, sometime, there was discussion about her being Super Sam, but that's more the writers fault (sorta like Jessica Rabbit G), who make her save the day because they were also busy dumbing down Jack.

But anyway, the only thing I guess I don't like about Sam is that 9 times out of 10, she meets a really neat guy (Orlin, Joe, Martouf, Narim) who get obliterated in a plot device. I'd like to forget her fiance, who might have been a nice guy but went whacko with delusions of godhood. I honestly wouldn't mind seeing an episode in which we learn more about that part of her life.

Or maybe an episode where the team is in dire straits (once again) and Jack turns to her for the solution and she just snaps and says "I'm sick of saving you guys. Can't YOU think of a way out for once?!" <G>

"What was the episode that made you realize Sam Carter was a character you *really* loved?"

"Singularity" was one of the biggest. The scene in the elevator after she left Cassie was heartbreaking.

Her intelligence, her strength and her ability to question (to a point) orders she doesn't believe are the wisest ("Scorched Earth") and how loyal she is...to the point of practically telling Hammond they were going back for O'Neill in "The Fifth Man." She's a strong person and was able to command her team in "Spirits" and "Fifth Man."

"What aspects of her character have you been pleased to see explored? What aspects of her character do you think have been adequately explored? What aspects would you like to see explored more? (The Jolinar storyline? Her relationship with her father? Her relationship with her brother? Her friendships with the other team members?)"

I'm combining these three. Hmm... I don't think she's been explored near enough in any account (although that's just me personally :D). I like how much we've seen of her father, what we've learned of her childhood, but none of it has been explored enough. I think we need a "Cold Lazarus"-type episode for her, where we learn something deep and profound about her and she grows as a person. I'd like to see her interact more with Teal'c and show more of her relationship with Jolinar (who hasn't been mentioned lately).

"Do you most like seeing her as a soldier? An astrophysicist? Someone blended with a Tok'ra? Friend of Teal'c, Daniel and Jack? Friend of Janet? Step-parent to Cassandra? All of the above?"

All of the above. I think it's the mixture of all of those things that make her so intriguing. Beautiful, intelligent, powerful. She's a triple-threat (and then some!)

"What episodes do you think portray her best? When did you feel you were learning things about her you didn't know before?"

Best episodes: "Ascension," "Singularity," "Rite of Passage," "In The Line of Duty," "Solitudes." I liked learning about her Dad in "Secrets." I felt I learned most about her in "Prodigy" where she gave a troublesome cadet a chance and "Entity" where it was revealed how much her friends cared about her. But "Singularity" remains my all-time favorite episode. It shows her as a scientist (experimenting in the lower levels with the naquadah and potassium) a mother-figure (every scene with Cass) and a soldier (almost following orders to leave Cassandra behind).

"Could everyone who has the time just write a paragraph about what they love about Sam Carter even if it's only to remind ourselves just what a wonderful character Sam is and what a vital part of SG-1 she is?"

I think the most amazing thing is how much she is. She's a friend to Janet and the rest of the team, as it has been shown several times during the series. She can be a warrior as shown in too many episodes to count (but to try, Enemies, Children of the Gods, Emancipation, Foothold etc). She's a brilliant scientist who can be almost childlike in her pursuit of knowledge ("Learning Curve," the 'MacGyver' line in the pilot). She can be a friend and a mother ("Rite of Passage," "Singularity"). But she can also be vulnerable enough to weep uncontrollably and kick at an elevator or allow herself to cry when someone she loves is hurt (white room scene in "Legacy"). All in all, it's the combination of her strength, determination and willpower that makes me love Samantha Carter.

I really struggled with this. I looked at the questions for ages but just couldn't answer them. Why? Because I *used* to love Sam but the way she's been written in season 5 I'm trying to remember just why that was.

I loved Sam when she was allowed to be a human being, albeit a pessimistic one, who didn't always have the answer for everything. When she put herself in danger so that Cassie wouldn't die alone, even when she focussed so much on the scientific side of observing a black hole in action that she didn't see that *people* were dying as a result of it and had to be reminded. When she didn't feel the need to tell Jack how to do his job, because she was too focussed on doing hers to the best of her ability.

Back when she was a strong woman character who got where she was by what she knew, not because she batted her eyelids at her C.O. Back before Sam Carter was a clich� rather than a character. Back when she and Daniel were friends, when she wasn't on a pedestal with everyone gazing up admiringly at her.

I remember when Sam was human, allowed to make mistakes and have relationships that didn't end in death. When she was allowed to suffer because she'd been taken as a Host, because the memories of the Tok'ra she carried even for so brief a time overwhelmed her.

Back before she lost her brain and her spine and became 'the girl' or 'SuperSam', she was one of the reasons I watched the show.

I don't know who that woman is pretending to be Sam Carter in seasons 4 & 5. All I know is, I just want the *real* Sam back.

"What was the episode that made you realize Sam Carter was a character you *really* loved?"

A combination of Singularity and Solitudes. Here you have a career minded woman, who has sacrificed her femininity to be a part of the 'boy's club' and has made a success of it, but has also retained that maternal instinct when she is placed in a situation that calls for the gentle, motherly touch, she comes out with just the right balance of care. Then Solitudes placed her in a challenging situation which she stood up and tried to beat the odds of survival, and through team effort, succeeds where most would have failed and/or given up way before then. The underlying care that she has for her teammates comes through strongly in both these eppys, despite her trying to keep them in check.

Her negativity.... hey, you always need someone to point out what *can* go wrong <vbg>

Someone made the remark that she is unable to think outside the box.... it's interesting because I think she tends to do so with her astrophysics.... when one idea fails, she will try something else i.e. Tangent, Matter of Time, Solitudes etc. but insofar as her military, yes, I think she is bound by her militaristic training. But I do agree that she is bound by rules.

Her joy at finding something new....much like Daniel in thriving on new discoveries. She loves a challenge and also loves to solve the problem, particularly when she does it by herself e.g. Learning Curve: I adore the scene with the girl when she sets off the reactor, particularly that she was so tied up with getting it going that she forgot to warn Hammond of the trial...reminds me also of Brief Candle when she also performed an experiment without seeking permission. She was so caught up in where she was going and what she was learning that she forgot the rules for a change.

Her wanting to follow the rules or compulsion to follow rules..... either the rules of physics or the rules of the military or family. Through those she is seeking approval. Why? That is still to be explored, but I have my own thoughts.

Her need to belong.... whether it be part of the military, her family or her own team. e.g. Secrets/The Tok'ra: when her father pushed her away after he told her he had cancer; Shades of Gray: O'Neill's breaking of the team; Hathor: the boy's club reference; Singularity: having to cover emotions to be part of military.

Her brilliance... and her quiet acceptance of it. She knows she is good, but she doesn't tend to shove it in another's face. She just does what sheknows how to do. e.g. Matter of Time: She knew that what the Pentagon were suggesting would be disasterous for Earth instead of jumping up and down and saying I'm right, you're wrong - she went back to prove it. Something that I think she probably acquired due to being a woman and having to prove herself in the past.

Her focus: She is very focused on what is important to the future of the SGC and Earth, even to the detriment of her personal life. She has sacrificed it to live her childhood dream of being an astronaut and has managed to exceed those endeavours, exploring the universe through an alien device. To gain, sometimes there are losses and she has accepted those gracefully.

Her relationship with her father; her relationship with Cassie; the effect of Jolinar on her; her home life (or lack thereof g); her relationship with her teammates - although limited.

Her relationship with her brother.... I truly see that if they explored it any further it would be detrimental to the movement forward of other characters.

"What aspects would you like to see explored more? (The Jolinar storyline? Her relationship with her father? Her relationship with her brother? Her friendships with the other team members?)"

All of the above apart from her brother as I don't see how that can feasibly be achieved considering the show scenario and his dislike of military. Having seen up to the Last Stand, I still don't think they have adequately dealt with her losses. She has sustained many this season particularly and they have yet to make much reference to any of them.

I would like to see how the events in BTF, DM and Ascension have affected her and her teammates. Surely, they can't just all 'soldier on'? It doesn't take much to convey these things such as that simple line. It's interesting how much can be extrapolated through those simple words and gestures. Daniel's simple repeat of the question "How's Sam?" said so much. Also her ability to see through his hedging about his translation showed how well these two know each other. They need more of these "little" scenes to complete an episode. Save your blasting for another day. It's the quiet episodes that keep us coming back.

I would also like to see an episode where her physics cannot get them through, that it is left to the ingenuity of the other three to combine their skills and come up with a solution. Take her out for some reason of the equation - even throw in the caring aspect of the team for a moment and then get on with the game at hand (Failsafe had this opportunity and passed it over.... shame on them).

"Do you most like seeing her as a soldier? An astrophysicist? Someone blended with a Tok'ra? Friend of Teal'c, Daniel and Jack? Friend of Janet? Step-parent to Cassandra? All of the above?"

All of the above. It is what she is, she's a combination of all those things. Foremost, I think we see her as the first two due to the nature of the show, but it doesn't take much to convey the others through simple dialogue and actions.

"What episodes do you think portray her best? When did you feel you were learning things about her you didn't know before?"

Singularity for her caring; Solitudes & Matter of Time for her continuing to try in the face of adversity; Secrets, Tok'ra & Seth (even though I hate the eppy for the most part) for her love for her family; Fire & Water, Message in a Bottle for her care of her teammates. Ascension for showing her love for her job and 2001/2010 for showing how she will sacrifice all she has for her country. Also Ascension, BTF and Enigma for her friendship/care for others.

What was the episode that made you realize Sam Carter was a character you *really* loved?

It was the pilot, but not the beginning, but the moment where Sam and Daniel do that mental connection thing. It had previously been stated that she could face Jack, then you know she can face Daniel. I found that interesting. My problem was that I quite didn't like some episodes that followed, but kept on watching. Then the Nox did everything to show me that show was more than I ever thought. Another obvious choice is "Singularity". The perfect Sam episode. Could speak about it for ages.

I like how he combines inner strength and sensibility, and how she never gives up. She is one of those people who loves solving riddles and enjoys all the process. And of course I love her loyalty. He'd do anything for her teammates, she'd die for them.

Brains, strength, she cares, she also thinks a little too much for her own good. His worse characteristic is that she's so analytical she tends to be pessimistic. Fortunately there's Jack to motivate and push her.

Her feelings. Singularity helped a lot. I needed to know she was human, she cared she had feelings. We see that from time to time and I enjoy that a lot.

I think it has been well established that she can be a balance between Jack and Daniel, mostly because she has things in common with both of them. That has always put her in an interesting (and not always easy) position.

What aspects would you like to see explored more? (The Jolinar storyline? Her relationship with her father? Her relationship with her brother? Her friendships with the other team members?)

I'd love to see more about her friendship with her team mates. I'm a bit ambivalent regarding the Jolinar thing. When it is well used can give us powerful episodes (In the line of duty scared me a lot, loved Jolinar's memories and TDYK) but I don't like the Jolinar storyline to become kind of a deus-ex-machina to end a plot. Sounds cheap to me.

Do you most like seeing her as a soldier? An astrophysicist? Someone blended with a Tok'ra? Friend of Teal'c, Daniel and Jack? Friend of Janet? Step-parent to Cassandra? All of the above?

What episodes do you think portray her best? When did you feel you were learning things about her you didn't know before?

Well, Singularity, Secrets, Jolinar's memories, TDYK, Ascension... those are all episodes where we learn objective information about her. I like also the episodes where I can see how Sam reacts to things, for example 1969, though the episode is just ok, I loved seeing how Sam cares. I love also Solitudes, her interaction with Jack. And IMHO we'll never get enough Sam Teal'c friendship moments.

I like her as a whole, I like her because she's smart, sensitive and caring, because she can fight when needed to, and because she won't hesitate to do anything for those she loves and she will try to find the best solution for a problem.. I also like her because I know she's not perfect. I don't want her to be perfect, I know she sometimes doubts, she has a tendency to pessimism, but she can overcome all that and do what's right. Like in 'Into the serpent's grasp', when she knew what was the right thing to do. And she did it.

I've only seen three season 5 episodes so I can't comment on the change that Sam has undergone in this season but I must admit that recently watching season 4 I have been surprised at how many unmemorable episodes there have been compared to the previous seasons. (I loved WOO, Beneath the Surface, Upgrades and 2010 but many of the others I have mainly forgotten.)

Anyway, I love the Sam character. I think Sam is a great role model for women and AT is an amazing actress and really brings Sam to life. "What was the episode that made you realize Sam Carter was a character you *really* loved?"

I didn't like Sam in the pilot episode but when she kicked the chieftans arse in Emancipation I thought "Alright!" But I think the episodes that made me think Sam was a really cool character were Singularity where she risks her life just to offer a bit of comfort to a little girl and Solitudes where you first saw a bit of vulnerability when Jack has to keep pushing her to get them out of the glacier.

Also for ATs acting I thought The Tokra was superb - especially when Jacob is just about to get the symbiote. Fantastic acting.

Her intelligence, strength and determination especially in a male dominated environment.

"What aspects of her character have you been pleased to see explored?" I like seeing the various relationships between Sam and the rest of SG-1, Jacob, General Hammond, Janet and Cassie.

"What aspects would you like to see explored more? (The Jolinar storyline? Her relationship with her father? Her relationship with her brother? Her friendships with the other team members?)"

I would like to see her friendship with Teal'c a bit more and for Sam to show more humour. Also I think AT mentioned in an interview once that it would be interesting to see how Sam coped with killing someone, whether Goauld, Jaffa or various aliens. How does she cope with that seeing as she has a caring, nurturing side as well as being a soldier/scientist. I would like to see a storyline that dealt with that, that dealt with the guilt of killing another person.

"Do you most like seeing her as a soldier? An astrophysicist? Someone blended with a Tok'ra? Friend of Teal'c, Daniel and Jack? Friend of Janet? Step-parent to Cassandra? All of the above?"

"What episodes do you think portray her best? When did you feel you were learning things about her you didn't know before?"

Again Singularity and Solitudes (my favourite episodes). In the Line of Duty for the whole Jolinar storyline and Secrets/The Tokra for showing the relationship with her father.

"What was the episode that made you realize Sam Carter was a character you *really* loved?"

I don't know about *really* loving Sam's character, but I do have a soft spot for her. I don't know if it's more from my writing, from fic, or from a few episodes.

I guess "Matter of Time" is one of my favorite Sam episodes, and has one of my favourite Teal'c and Sam scenes. She's angsting over the decision being made, Teal'c is her sounding board. She just seemed so...human.

Other good Sam eps? I like the ones that show her in relation to her teammates. The rare Teal'c and Sam moments. The science twin moments with Daniel and Sam - I *love* the start of "Message in a Bottle." Probably one of my favorites.

And one of the rare moments in S5, her line about her dad. "Welcome to my life." I laughed!

A need to belong. I think of "Hathor" when she laments to Janet about the boys' club. I try to keep that in mind when writing early Sam. Her negativity... isn't exactly a positive defining feature, but it's a part of her. Definitely.

By adequate, I mean without venturing into the Mary Sue zone. I believe that's her family and her friendships. Her career, knowledge and talents, unfortunately...

"What aspects would you like to see explored more? (The Jolinar storyline? Her relationship with her father? Her relationship with her brother? Her friendships with the other team members?)"

To be honest, I don't see where they could go with the Jolinar storyline anymore. The storyline with her father is on-going and healthy. The relationship with her brother could use a few mentions now and again. Her relationship with her teammates should be exposited in the stories, IMO, the same way her relationship with Jacob is explored. *pause* That didn't make any sense, did it?

"Do you most like seeing her as a soldier? An astrophysicist? Someone blended with a Tok'ra? Friend of Teal'c, Daniel and Jack? Friend of Janet? Step-parent to Cassandra? All of the above?"

"What episodes do you think portray her best? When did you feel you were learning things about her you didn't know before?"

Secrets. Hathor. Matter of Time. (I'll think of more probably minutes after sending this email.)

Why do I like Sam? She's a woman who's made it in life. She's living out a dream (going to space, especially) based on her own talents and determination. She hasn't had to sacrifice her femininity to get along in a man's world.

IMO, she may be to astrophysics now what Battlestar Galactica's Lt. Sheba was for piloting - a positive female role model that will inspire young girls and women to do something they may not have otherwise thought of doing.

Why we love Sam? She's everything I wish I could be. She certainly is pretty, but she is also smart, tough, and feminine, all rolled into one. She seems to care a great deal for others, and has an empathy that her single-minded drive has not dampened. I saw this definitely in Singularity.

She is incredibly smart, but hasn't channeled that into only one area. She is well rounded, and funny.

I don't know that I explained myself well (probably why I lurk) so I'll hush now. She is my favorite character though. Did I mention my daughters name is Samantha.