I want to love Sam Carter, I really do...

[thegrrrl2002]

But I just can't seem to work up the same amount of enthusiasm for the character as I did for, say, Dana Scully. I loved Scully, loved her with all my little scientisty heart. She was the coolest girl scientist *ever* on TV. She made me so proud, figuring out all those weird little X-Files mysteries. Not to mention giving Mulder a hard time in each and every episode. I want to love Carter like that, too, but I just can't connect with her as a character. I just don't know why. Is it because she's in a different field? Scully and I are both biologists, and Carter, of course, is a physicist. But I like physics, even though my interest is strictly amateur.

I think it might be because Carter is presented as not just any ordinary scientist, but as a Genuis. As if we couldn't buy into a woman being scientific unless she was some sort of freak of nature, a supergenuis who can figure out everything. Not just an ordinary run of the mill scientist who is fairly bright and works hard to get their answers. That's too big a stretch. Maybe that's why I can't connect to her at all--I'm not anywhere near that level of smartness. (Just dogged.) And related to that genus issue is that to me, I don't see the "scientist" in her character, except when she's talking technical. I believed Scully as a scientist. She was skeptical, she needed a logical reason to believe, she searched for answers in the only way she knew how. For Carter, none of the scientific abilities she shows seem to be organic to her nature. Not that scientists all act a certain way, but there is something about the inquisitive nature that should stand out. Instead, the character is written as a simple plot device, as how to get from Point A to Point B to Solution in any given episode. There's hardly ever any evidence of the road she traveled to get there.

Or maybe it's none of the above. I don't know. I just know that I want to love her, and I don't. I think the character is okay in most eps, decent in some, and less than exciting in most. I really wish I found her more compelling.

Comments

[frahulettaes.livejournal.com]

Oh, my, god. Fangirl alert.
I totally and completely fell in love with AT on Sunday.
And her comments are making me re-look at a lot of eps.
Somehow, seeing her and MS changed how I look at Sam and Daniel.
I have less patience for Daniel's pathos and a lot more for Sam's postition/challenges on the team.
I should say, I'm hopped up on pain pills right now so if I'm rambling or being completely stupid, just delete this and give me a whack in the head with a rolled up shanks.
Hiya, Grrrl. I'm so wigggly that your're here.
squeee.

Hiya, Fangirl Fra!

[thegrrrl2002.livejournal.com]

I have nothing at all against the actress herself. I liked AT when I saw her on "The Lowdown", she seemed very fun and personable. I figure she's got to have a good sense of humor to deal with those guys on the set.

From reading con reports (and I enjoyed yours very much, thank you!) it seems like she has a better handle on the characters than the writers do. Which isn't surprising.

Hope you are feeling better soon!

[gigitrek.livejournal.com]

I had a friend who's perpetual answer to that old chestnut, "Which actress would you cross the fence for?" was Gillian Anderson. I could never see it, myself. But then again, I wasn't a big X-Files fan.

I think writing compelling scientific females is a problem for (mostly male) writers in a lot of TV shows. I was going to mention the travesty that is T'Pol, but that's probably best left alone.

T'Pol...

[thegrrrl2002.livejournal.com]

I was astonished to discover that T'Pol is really growing on me this season. And not in a 'I need anti-fungal cream now' sort of way. Aside from the un-Vulcan-like moments (which will not be spoken of) I enjoyed most of her screen time. Maybe it's all relative--most of her stuff in the first season made me wince. She was more bitchy than anything else, which drove me crazy.

As for Gilian Anderson, yeah, I could see it.

[kageygirl.livejournal.com]

She's too damn tall.

No, that's not it. I find that, if anything, I'm a little jealous of Sam as she's written. Not so much for being a sooper-genius, but because she's so damn happy to be a geek, and never seems to feel bad about the "what the hell are you on?" looks that she gets from her teammates. I get those looks from my friends and feel immediately compelled to apologize for geeking out on them.

[thegrrrl2002.livejournal.com]

Kagey, you can be geeky with me anytime you want, honest.

I never noticed Carter being particularly happy to be a geek, though. But now that I think about it, maybe she is. And that's a nice thing.

Along with being tall.

Sam Carter wannabes

[kylielee1000.livejournal.com]

I think it might be because Carter is presented as not just any ordinary scientist, but as a Genuis. As if we couldn't buy into a woman being scientific unless she was some sort of freak of nature, a supergenuis who can figure out everything. Not just an ordinary run of the mill scientist who is fairly bright and works hard to get their answers. That's too big a stretch. Maybe that's why I can't connect to her at all--I'm not anywhere near that level of smartness. (Just dogged.)

I'm dogged as well, and maybe I resent those blindingly smart people who never have to work at it. I too don't get Sam. Yes, all too often, she's a total plot device, explaning how they can get out of a fix or developing some fine theory that the episode tests.

But I do see her character as being related to her intelligence. She's presented as geeking out during vacations instead of, like, going fishing with the boys--although, having done that myself (my dad was an avid fisherman), I have to say, staying home and playing on the computer sounds waaaay more fun. She gets all excited when she's interviewed for the camera, but she's talking about arcane weirdness that no one understands. And she scares boys off. Think about how some of the other scientists see her (like Felger)--they're totally intimidated by her, and this has repercussions for her dating life.

What I don't get is why she doesn't click with Daniel better. Season 1 saw him calling her "doctor," which minimizes her rank and treats her as a colleague, but we don't see that any more. IMHO, the character has no sexual chemistry with anyone, including Jack, even though you'd think she and Daniel would get along in that way. Sam comes off as cold and asexual, always at arm's reach. This may be protective for her, as Jacob points out. Her crush on Jack is part hero worship, part desire for his sexy bod (if she's, like, breathing), and part knowledge that he's totally safe and unobtainable.

Damn them for killing off Martouf. Damn them! And even then, he was in love with Jolinar first.

Re: Sam Carter wannabes

[thegrrrl2002.livejournal.com]

And she scares boys off. Think about how some of the other scientists see her (like Felger)--they're totally intimidated by her, and this has repercussions for her dating life.

I can't count Felger, because he's such a cartoon, even though he does crack me up.

I think she should play with the fact that they are intimidated by her though. I also think she should play with the fact that she's a woman. Maybe sit down at the briefing room table and announce that she has PMS and nobody better mess with her today. Just to make them sweat. You're absolutely right, the character does come off as asexual. I want her to be more earthy, I want her to remind the guys that she's a woman and proud of it.

I totally buy into your take on her crush on Jack, particularly the "safe and unobtainable" part. If only the writers would address that in a somewhat consistent way I'd be happy with it. Although I think the show would suddenly get far more interesting if her crush were on Teal'c, but that's a whole 'nother story.

Damn them for killing off Martouf.
And Narim! I loved Narim. He was so earnest. I thought he was perfect for her. Even if Martouf was prettier.

[seanchaidh.livejournal.com]

Maybe because Sam Carter as evolved in canon into a insult for all things we women have been fighting for since, oh, the beginning?

[thegrrrl2002.livejournal.com]

My ambivalence for Sam has been there since the beginning, but yeah, those changes in her character have been particularly painful to watch.

[seanchaidh.livejournal.com]

Haven't liked her much since most of S4... except for a few moments around the time of Meridian when she was partially redeemed... well, until the ship stuff really got started. Oy.

I want to like her! I really do!