Ramse is a genie trapped in a $200 bottle of Whiskey, until 18-year-old, Jenna, inadvertently sets him free. http://www.inkitt.com/stories/11988
I’ve added a new chapter to my story in Inkitt’s Echo of Another World SciFi/Fantasy writing contest in honor of Terry Pratchett. It’s a short, fun read. Please vote if you like it 🙂
I’m part of a pretty kick-ass X-Files fan group on Facebook, Hooked on X-Files: Die Hard Fans Only. If you love reading about and talking about the show come join us. But be warned, you will have to pass a brief test identifying some characters to prove your fandom before your membership is accepted. Anyway, a while back we all had a discussion about what we most want to see in the revival. I’ve organized it all into the 5 major points that seemed to keep coming up. Don’t agree? Please add your thoughts below.
My biggest question, and other philes agree: what is really going on with the alien invasion? Did they really start a quiet invasion in 2012 (here among us without us knowing) and are now just getting everything in place for the fiery destruction we saw in Mulder’s vision? Did the alien invasion take place off screen in 2012? Did Mulder and Scully stop it? Is there a new syndicate operation? Sometimes I wish they would just SET the revival in 2012 instead of 2015 so we could see them address and stop the invasion. Maybe something Mulder and Scully did postponed the invasion until now. We just don’t know, but we all want to find out more than anything.
The consensus: Finding out what happened with Colonization is extremely important. It was always a major talking point throughout the series and first movie, and then the second movie didn’t address it at all. Rather, it played as a longer Monster of the Week episode. Most fans agree, it would be a mistake for the writers to avoid the subject of aliens and colonization again.
What I want to see above all else in this revival is vindication for Mulder and Scully–undeniable proof that Mulder has been right all along. I want people who made fun of Mulder to beg him for help, and I want to see him and Scully save the world from invasion.
2. William
Everyone’s second biggest question remains about the show’s smallest character.
Where is he?
S.C.–Exactly, that’s my number one as well A.W. And that’s also my second most wanted answer. Where is baby William? And who really is William. The last I heard was he was adopted by a family in Wyoming. Is he a teenager now, what are the extent of his powers? Can he be a savior to humanity?
A.W.–More so than where William is, I want to know what his deal really is. He’s very important, or at least he was as a baby. Can the Magnetite Jeffrey Spender injected baby William with suppress his alien powers forever? Will they resurface in this revival? I can see a 15 year old William now, frightened to find he can read thoughts or move things with his mind. If his powers were to resurface, that would certainly put his adoptive family in danger, and draw attention from Mulder and Scully.
From season 6 when the piece of the craft that Scully was “meant to find” spins and goes flying into the bible, to Genesis, to season 9 when the piece goes flying over Williams head and he’s looking up at it, spinning above his eyes, I’ve had major questions about Mulder and Scully’s child.
When William is born and Mulder doesn’t know how to get to Scully, he follows a bright light in the sky. And it leads him to this rundown shack, the only place Scully could go. And everyone is there just to witness this miraculous birth–that of a barren mother. Then the 3 gunmen come bearing gifts. It’s a story I hear in church every Christmas. William is alien Jesus. He’s definitely going be a big part of this new mythology. And if not, he should be. My theory is he’s the chosen one–maybe the only one that can stop the aliens. He or his possibly immortal mother…
3. How has Mulder and Scully’s relationship progressed?
S.C.–would love to see Mulder and Scully’s relationship and romance deepened.
A.W.–I think Mulder and Scully are as in love as they’re going to get. Even before they were officially together on the show, it was obvious they loved each other through care, concern, jealousy, and support. In the latest movie we’ve got them lying in bed snuggling and kissing. I know most fans like to see the relationship bits and how it’s evolved into a real romantic relationship, and I get it, but at the same time I don’t know how they can go any further with it because there’s certainly no place for a wedding in The X-Files. It’d just be corny and wouldn’t fit at all with the tone of the show. Hell, I don’t even like when they call each other by their first names. “Dearest Dana” and “I can’t help but think of him Fox” make me cringe. And I think if they wanted to be married they would be by now, but that’s not something they’ve ever needed. They just need each other. Likewise, I don’t think Scully can have any more children nor do I feel they’d want to adopt since they are back at the FBI in consuming and dangerous work. Besides, the pain from losing William has always haunted them. So I think that’s it for relationships and family stuff: just Mulder and Scully hopefully finding their son. I’ll agree that I would like to see a family reunion there. Poor Scully.
I’ve spoken to a lot of people who still want that sex scene, and for awhile I was one of them. But I honestly didn’t really need it in the last movie, nor do I want it now. The cuddling in the movie was already pushing it. They had a really romantic cuddling scene in “Requiem,” and overdoing it will only cheapen that rare and beautiful moment. Furthermore, I think their first time having sex was in “All Things” and that’s where I really wanted to see it. Like, did you see the deleted kiss from Fight The Future? That first-time passion is what I really wanted to see…that finally, finally, they can have each other moment. But by I Want To Believe I just assume they’ve been sleeping together for years so there’s no real reason for us to see it. Though that doesn’t stop some fans from wanting to, others agree with me:
C.D.–Nahh… No sex scenes for me. I think the most intimate moments are those where they are barely talking at a whisper. Soft utterances, the camera honed into their conversations and their tenderness toward one another.
E.S.–I love that their physical relationship is private….I hope it stays that way! That’s what makes the hand holding, the occasional kiss, spooning, the care, the rescues….all so so so special!
We now know that Mulder and Scully will be broken up in the revival. I know this has some fans enraged to the point of boycotting, but to me this is interesting writing that remains true to the characters. In the last movie, Scully was already ready to leave the life that cost her her health, family, and happiness behind. She’d thought of quitting before, but always stayed in the end. I think that changed after she lost William. She wants nothing to do with the darkness anymore. Mulder on the other hand, lives for the x-files. They want different things. That said, I think Chris Carter wants to rekindle in us the desire for them to be together. I trust him; he’s never given me a reason not to.
4. Where are Doggett and Reyes, and who, if anyone, is running the X-Files?
Of all the characters the show introduces, especially new ones in the later seasons, there really weren’t any bad or uninteresting ones. I remain the final seasons’ biggest defender and attest that David Duchovny leaving was the only reason the show failed. It was not for bad writing, lack of story material or uninteresting characters. To prove that fact, we all still care what’s become of them. We now know that Reyes will be returning, but Robert Patrick who is busy with his new show, “Scorpion,” will not.
5. A satisfying ending
S.C.–Really, I think there is still so much material they could use for an exciting return I really hope that season 10 is just a prelude for more and more. Its hard to believe everything can be answered in 6 eps.
C.D.–They have hinted that if these 6 EPs do well they may do more limited run seasons and or a movie. I have read that being hinted from CC and DD.
A.W.–We can only hope. Although, if they could truly conclude the story in a perfect and satisfying way in 6 episodes, I’d be happy. I don’t want infinite episodes as much as I’d like a great conclusion. But I do agree that we need more than 6 to wrap it all up. There’s still so much to see.
M.R.–I know there is a lot of talk about fans wanting more after these six episodes, however, I honestly feel like they should take this time to wrap up the series. Do not get me wrong, I would LOVE to have Mulder and Scully on my screen forever but I feel like that’s where Chris and Fox went wrong to begin with. They’re always pushing for more, more, more and I feel like it really hurt the story in the long run. Almost like they were afraid to tie up loose ends solely because the mythology might have continued. Now, if they could wrap up the existing mythology and tie those loose ends and then start another chapter, I might be OK with something after these six episodes.
________________________________________________________
What do you all think? If you missed the conversation the first time around, add your thoughts now. The Revival happens in mere hours so lets make some predictions and see if they pan out!
Liv of the new hit show iZombie spends her time kicking ass and taking brains, acquiring a new job in a morgue to get her fix.
She also helps solve crimes, even if she has to get physical to do it. Check out her Kung Fu moves!
But what I’m far more interested in is Liv’s emotional strength. Like vampires, zombies are highly metaphorical creatures. Liv’s whole life is destroyed in one night. She is turned into a zombie against her will and consequently loses her job, her friends, her family, and much of who she was. This is symbolic of any number of derailing disasters that can affect humans in their lives. Think about losing a fiance to a breakup, a family member to illness, or yourself due to a mugging or a rape, or even something less traumatic like a mid-life crisis. I mention rape because afterwords, Liv feels half dead. She doesn’t know who she is anymore, but she is different and not whole. A strange man has infected her with a zombie virus against her will and it has changed her, made her darker. Her mood has plummeted to more depressed territory and it takes its toll on everyone she loves. Her romantic relationship falls apart and her family and friends believe she has PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) which of course she does, though not for the reasons they think.
So keeping in mind that zombieism is metaphoric for any number of emotional stressors that can affect a person, Liv shows tremendous strength in picking herself back up and getting back out into the world. Losing her fiance isn’t the worst thing that could happen, nor is having your family and friends become mad at you. Nothing is ever the end of the world, as long as you’re still alive. And Liv is still alive. Despite the horror that has befallen her, she is still Liv. She’s still the hardworking, helpful, caring person she always was, so she has two choices:
She can wallow, and become a true emotionless, flesh-eating zombie, or she keep acting on her lively personality by pursuing a career. So she can’t be a doctor anymore, and she won’t make as much money. Big deal. It isn’t her relationships that define her, but who she is as a person. And she’s a person who wants a career where she can make a difference.
Every week, Liv makes the conscious choice to keep living, and that even though she makes a friend at the morgue who knows her secret, she herself is enough to live for. In fact, some of the most interesting aspects of the show are the ways in which Liv chooses life. She can’t taste foods anymore, she can’t have the career of her choice, and she isn’t getting married. But there are other journeys to be had. Liv eats brains in order to remain somewhat human (if you go too long without eating, you become The Walking Dead). But brains are like a drug, and one of the side effects is gaining flashes of that person’s life (which is how Liv helps solve crimes) and their personality traits. So one week, Liv is a painter, drawing masterpieces, and feeling passion for everyone and everything, gaining an appreciation for all the beauty in the world. The next week she may be cold and logical but gain an extensive knowledge of facts. In the latest episode, she got to experience life through an old friend’s eyes who Liv described as a “death is a consequence of life kind of girl.” Now that she’s a zombie, Liv can speak languages other than English, perform martial arts, and essentially live an infinite number of lives.
Hence Olivia’s nickname, Liv. “Liv Moore.” Get it? The underlying meaning, of course, is that we have the power and ability to experience this variety of new things whenever we wish. We can learn a new language, or skill, broaden our horizons and choose to live no matter what injustices we suffer. We can choose to enjoy life to the fullest. We can “live more.”
The final message: Always choose life. You are enough.
I hope iZombie stays on the air and Liv keeps kicking ass for years to come.
Let me be clear about one thing right off the bat. As a lover of the English language I’m always searching for the exact right word to describe something, and I don’t use the word “incomparable” lightly. I use it because no relationship I’ve ever seen on television compares to how realistic and effortless the chemistry between David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson is on The X-Files. When they perform a scene together, there’s absolutely no sense of actors repeating lines from a script. It’s genuine. Viewers believe a real conversation is happening between two actual people who know each other as well as Mulder and Scully would.
Remember my post from a few weeks back about how Gillian Anderson was, superficially speaking, the antithesis of what the show was looking for in a female lead? –> (Dana Scully) The reason she got the part anyway was because no one in the room could deny the lightning they’d trapped in a bottle when they saw the unprecedented chemistry between the two. Chemistry on T.V. is like Voice in fiction. It can’t be taught or forcefully applied, but when a writer taps into it, and it’s right, they’d be a fool not to run with it because it’s not something easily harnessed.
Don’t take my word for it; listen to what The X-Files team has to say on the subject:
That’s not to say that the hard part is over. Chemistry is one thing, but then it’s up to the writers to give the characters excellent dialogue, and not let that potential go to waste. Luckily, the show is as well-written as it is well-cast. Let these Mulder and Scullyisms courtesy of Snakey973 be your proof:
When Mulder and Scully interact it’s easy to believe the two have known each other well and for a long time. Viewers believe that they know each other personally as well as professionally, and not only spend much time together at work, but outside of it as well. They have the kind of back-and-forth that happy long-term couples have, where they can joke with each other and understand and appreciate the other’s sense of humor. Their use of sarcasm, the faces they make at one another, and the way they good-naturedly give each other a hard time are all characteristics of real relationships. You can always tell when two people aren’t comfortable around each other because they are being too polite. Mulder and Scully share an intimate comfort and speak to each other as I would to my closest friends.
I’ve seen shows like Stargate-SG-1 (Jack and Carter) and 12 Monkeys (Cole and Cassie) come close, but I still have yet to see a real competitor for The X-Files in the chemistry department. The stars seem to have aligned perfectly over this one creative endeavor, and fans are eternally grateful.
This month, Inkitt.com is paying tribute to the late, great Science Fiction and Fantasy author, Terry Pratchett. I wasn’t planning on entering another contest right away, but Inkitt reached out to me asking if I’d like to participate. For Terry Pratchett, I’ll write.
The contest is free and open to all ages. I encourage anyone to enter who has been influenced by the great fantastical worlds of Terry Pratchett. Create your own worlds in his memory.
In honor of the great Terry Pratchett, I wanted to write a story that explored a fantastical world. Then I decided to write from the PoV of a genie, because they get to experience all sorts of worlds.
Here’s a link to my story, “The Crystal Skull Infinity.” If you like it, please vote for it. And post your own stories in the comments section so I can return the favor 🙂 LLAP.
http://www.inkitt.com/stories/11988
 As promised, every week leading up to the X-Citing X-Files revival, I’m posting something nostalgic and with a certain paranormal bouquet. This week, let’s take a look back at some of the wonderfully unique gifts Mulder has given to Scully over the years.
In the season 2 episode, “One Breath,” Scully wakes up from a negative prognosis after her family has literally pulled the plug and given up on her. Mulder, who has been having an extremely difficult time dealing with his first ever taste of losing his best friend, visits her in the hospital with a unique gift. He doesn’t bring her flowers, or candy, but a VHS tape:Â “I brought you a present,” he says. “Superstars of the Super Bowl.” To which Scully sarcastically replies, “I knew there was a reason to live.” There’s so much to love about this scene. Is that really the movie he brought? Or was he making a joke to cover for something more sentimental? Or is that really what it is–something he had lying around his apartment? After all he’s been too worried and preoccupied to shop, and couldn’t just show up empty-handed. Is it something he feels they can enjoy watching together later? It certainly wouldn’t be the only time on the show that he tries to get her interested in football. And it’s not as though the two don’t watch movies together. At any rate, the gift reflects the stage in their relationship: we’ve known each other for over a year, and I’m doing my best to show that I have valued that time with you, and care for you.
In the season 4 episode, “Tempus Fugit,” one of my all time favorites, Mulder and Scully eat dinner where he surprises her with a dessert with a sparkler shining in it, a “Happy Birthday” song, and a pretty little gift box. Scully remarks that in 4 years working together, he’s never remembered her birthday, to which he retorts that he prefers to do it like dog years. I always figured that Mulder, often joking to deflect genuine emotion, simply has found something worth giving her this year. Think about it: the less someone makes a big deal of holidays and occasions, the less they give gifts, the more meaningful that gift will be when they finally decide to give it. In this episode, Mulder gives Scully a gift worthy of tears, though it may not seem that way at first.
Scully opens the gift box to reveal an Apollo 11 medallion commemorating that mission, and is grateful but relatively confused. As Mulder is about to explain why he gave it to her, all X-Files hell breaks loose and the agents embark on a tragic two-episode investigation. At the end of part two, “Max,” after losing friends but not faith, Mulder and Scully stare at the stars, and Scully tells Mulder she figured out what he was going to say:
“I was thinking about this gift that you gave me for my birthday. You never got to tell me why you gave it to me or what it means. But I think I know. I think that you appreciate that there are extraordinary men and women; extraordinary moments when history leaps forward on the backs of these individuals. What can be imagined, can be achieved. You must dare to dream, but it is no substitute for perseverance and hard work. And teamwork, because no one gets there alone. And while we commemorate the greatness of these events and the individuals who achieve them, we cannot forget the sacrifices of those who make these achievements and dreams possible.”
Mulder, as per usual deflecting the depth of that sentiment, jokes that he just thought it was a cool key chain. But of course, Scully is right. This gift is made all the more important by the stage of the relationship that it is presented in–the season of Scully’s terminal cancer diagnosis, where Mulder once again will be struggling with the reality of losing her. Mulder realizes that things he used to be able to do alone, aren’t worth it anymore, and that he no longer wants to continue this quest without her. That’s what the medallion means.
In the season 6 episode, “How the Ghosts Stole Christmas,” even though the agents said they weren’t going to exchange gifts, at the end they reveal that they “got each other a little something.” The audience doesn’t get to see the gifts revealed, but only Mulder and Scully smiling while excitedly shaking boxes and untying ribbons. I actually like that we don’t know what they got each other, because we get to speculate, and that’s so much fun.
To me, it looks and sounds like Scully got Mulder a VHS tape (oh, 90s). But what is it? The two obviously enjoy watching movies together, if the season 7 episode “Je Souhaite” is any indication. But what movie would she choose for him? Or maybe, she is re-gifting Super Stars of the Superbowl simply so they could share in the memory of that moment, when their relationship, and the gifts themselves were less evolved. And it looks like Mulder gets her….I don’t know….a salami? But I rest assured that whatever it is, his explanation is better than the gift itself. After all, things don’t matter–it’s only stuff. Words, loyalty, friendship, love, trust, and showing appreciation for those qualities is what matters.
Later, in the season 6 episode, “The Unnatural,” (another episode that appears in my top 5 favorites overall) Mulder is prompted into an emotional epiphany by Arthur Dales, who stresses that Mulder need pay less attention to the heart of the mystery, and more to the mystery of the heart. Mulder is touched, and moved by Dales’s story of love–all kinds of love–being more important than any alien truth, so again, he decides to show his ever-growing appreciation for his partner. He calls Scully to meet him for a “very early or very late birthday present.” In other words, he gives her a “no-reason present,” which are often the best kinds because they prove you don’t need a special date or occasion to show your love and appreciation for someone.
Under the stars, and with a beautiful song playing in the background of the episode, Mulder teaches Scully to play baseball–to momentarily forget her cares and worries that he and his quest have inflicted on her over the years, and to let her know that her loyalty has never been undervalued. Though of course he doesn’t have to, Mulder insists on putting his arms around her, helping her position her hips, and hold the bat. The gifts are becoming more romantic as their relationship does. It is a truly beautiful moment on the show, and with all the horror the two experience, those are so wonderful and rare.
By the time we reach the season 8 episode, “Empedocles,” their relationship has evolved pretty much as far as a romantic one can. Our dynamic duo is having a baby together, and to a pregnant Scully, Mulder presents a doll. This is such a sweet, and truly touching physical gift, that Scully makes this face when she opens it:
Mulder explains that the doll is a family keepsake that he discovered while going through his late mother’s things. Scully helped Mulder through his mother’s tragic death, and we know how much a special family heirloom would mean to him. That he would give it to Scully solidifies that she and the baby are now his family. And as always, the thought behind Mulder’s gift makes it all the more meaningful.
Well, X-Philes, did I miss any wonderful, unique Mulder gifts over the years? What are your favorites and why? Please comment below, and don’t forget to visit every week for more X-Files nostalgia as we move closer and closer to the revival.
It’s no secret to regular readers that I’ve been this show’s most enthusiastic advocate, not for being well-written or providing well-developed characters, or keeping me in suspense–all of which it does–but for investing me emotionally in the journey of Jimmy McGill. I’ve loved every episode of Better Call Saul in this pilot season, but I have to say, I enjoyed last week’s show much more than this finale.
I just wasn’t buying Jimmy’s epiphany in the final minutes that seemed to come from nowhere. He didn’t hit rock bottom, he didn’t get desperate. Sure he got screwed by his brother, but Kim and his clients still believed in him. In fact, Jimmy had everywhere to go but down. He was excited when Kim called and told him about the job. He was on his way inside. Prestige, money, respect, proving his brother wrong, proving to himself that he is a good lawyer–he would have had all of these things.
I don’t care if as a writer, you want Jimmy to have an epiphany and literally walk in the opposite direction, but there has to be something in the story to support that decision, and something in his character that makes the audience say, “Yes, that’s the Saul we know from Breaking Bad.” As of now, I’m not sure why Jimmy is in that place. I can see that in the season finale, you might want Jimmy taking a step toward the dark side, but it seemed rushed, and forced.
In this episode, Jimmy returns to Chicago to find his old friend Marco literally sitting on the same bar stool where Jimmy left him a decade ago. During that time, Jimmy has of course graduated from law school while working in the mail room at HHM, developed a great relationship with Kim, and passed the bar exam. Jimmy and Marco have a fun week together scamming rubes, and then duty calls Jimmy back to New Mexico. Marco, however, calls this the “best week of his life” with his dying breath. Really? If this was the best week of your life, and these are your last words to Jimmy McGill, I’m thinking something has gone horribly wrong in your life.
And Jimmy is thinking….what? That’s the problem. Is he thinking “I gotta get me some of that amazing life that Marco described?” Why? For what reason? I’m not buying it. I need a reason. And I need a better one than Jimmy suddenly deciding that he and Mike should have taken the Kettlemans’ money. I’m disappointed. I was expecting more.
Remember during the final season of Breaking Bad, where they ran promos of Bryan Cranston reading Shelley’s “Ozymandias?” I’m getting chills just thinking about it. Essentially, these ads featured Walter White describing a “colossal wreck” where once stood a great king.
Where is Jimmy’s colossal wreck? Where is the great, insurmountable, depressing, fiasco that starts Jimmy on a downslide into Saul? We saw the beginnings of such a downfall when chuck betrayed him, but with so much still going so right in his life, what we saw last night cannot be it. So why, why didn’t Jimmy go into that meeting? What are your thoughts?
On a side note, Kudos to the writers for the Belize reference, and for the Kevin Costner scene. Both were nice touches for fans of Breaking Bad.
“I logged over 100 hours in enemy airspace during the Gulf War. Is that tough enough for you? Or are we going to have to arm wrestle?”
Samantha Carter is still an Air Force Captain when she’s introduced on Stargate SG-1. Until her appearance, the pilot episode, and prior Stargate movie, centered around Colonel Jack O’Neill, and Doctor Daniel Jackson. The first episode picks up where the movie left off: with Jack leading a team to extract Daniel from an alien planet. As this mission briefing commences, General Hammond declares to the table of men that he’s assigning Sam Carter to the mission. Jack gripes that he prefers to assemble his own team (one apparently comprised entirely of men). The General insists that Carter is the leading expert on the Stargate, so Jack asks “Where is he transferring from?” And the rest is gold:
Carter appears saying, “She is transferring from the Pentagon. I take it you’re Colonel O’Neill. Captain Samantha Carter reporting, sir.”
Here is the rest of that scene’s dialogue from “Children of the Gods:”
KAWALSKY
But of course you go by Sam.
SAM
You don’t have to worry, Major. I played
with dolls when I was a kid.
KAWALSKY
G.I. Joe?
SAM
No. Major Matt Mason.
KAWALSKY
Oh.Who?
FERRETTI
Major Matt Mason, astronaut doll. Did
you have that cool little backpack that
made him fly?
HAMMOND
Let’s get started. Colonel?
JACK
Thank you. Those of you on your first
trip through the Stargate, (obviously referring to Sam) you should
be prepared for what to expect.
SAM
I’ve practically memorized your report
from the first mission. I’d like to
think I’ve been preparing for this all
my life.
KAWALSKY
I think what the Colonel is saying is,
have you ever pulled out of a simulated
bombing run in an F-16 at 8-plus Gs?
SAM
Yes.
KAWALSKY
(pauses, stunned) Well, it’s way worse than that.
FERRETTI
By the time you get to the other side,
you’re frozen stiff like you’ve just
been through a blizzard. Naked.
SAM
That’s a result of the compression your
molecules undergo during the millisecond
required for reconstitution.
JACK
Oh, here we go, another scientist. General,
please.
SAM
Theoretical astrophysicist.
JACK
Which means?
HAMMOND
It means she is smarter than you are,
Colonel. Especially in matters related
to the Stargate.
Kawalsky and Ferretti laugh.
SAM
Colonel, I was studying the Gate technology
for two years before Daniel Jackson
made it work and before you both went
through. I should have gone through
then. But sir, you and your men might
as well accept the fact that I am going
through this time.
JACK
Well, with all due respect, Doctor.
SAM
It is appropriate to refer to a person
by their rank, not their salutation.
Call me Captain, not Doctor.
HAMMOND
Captain Carter’s assignment to this
unit is not an option, it’s an order.
SAM
I’m an Air Force officer just like you
are, Colonel. And just because my reproductive
organs are on the inside instead of
the outside, doesn’t mean I can’t handle
whatever you can handle.
JACK
Oh, this has nothing to do with you
being a woman. I like women. I’ve just
got a little problem with scientists.
SAM
Colonel, I logged over 100 hours in
enemy airspace during the Gulf War.
Is that tough enough for you? Or are
we going to have to arm wrestle?
Carter ends the discussion by confidently stating that she can handle anything the guys can. Like, why does this even need saying? She then attempts to alleviate the Colonel’s misgivings by saying “You really will like me when you get to know me.” To which he replies, “Oh, I adore you already, Captain.” And it’s certainly lucky he does, seeing as she ends up saving his life and the lives of her team members on countless occasions through her tenure in the Stargate program. Carter is as smart as Daniel, as tough as Teal’c, and as strong a leader as Jack.
In the show, after Sam corrects Jack for calling her Doctor, Jack jokes that Sam is “Captain Doctor” because she has so many rankings and degrees. She has no problem putting him in his place when he refers to her as doctor, saying it is appropriate for her superior officer to address her by rank. He won’t forget it. Captain Carter is so tough, smart, and capable, that over the course of the show, she is promoted to Major, and eventually Colonel, taking over leadership of the team in the final seasons.
While Carter is always strong, her physical abilities are showcased in three particular episodes that stand out. In “Emancipation,” she helps liberate a tribe of women who are thought of as property in their culture. The girls can be bought or sold by their fathers to other men to be used as brides, and for cooking, cleaning, and other menial duties. Girls are also forced to cover their faces in public, and if they disobey a man, they can be stoned to death. Does this planet sound like any place we might know right here on present day Earth? Hmm…. After a tribe leader makes the mistake of trying to buy Carter, she challenges him for authority, kicking his ass in hand-to-hand combat in front of a crowd, and demanding freedom for his daughter whom he’d planned to marry off. To show they will remember Carter’s influence, the women of the village remove their facial veils. View her fight below:
In “The Warrior,” SG-1 agrees to provide supplies and weapons to a group of Jaffa fighting for their freedom. The mostly male group of Jaffa appreciate the gesture but insist that their weapons are far superior to Earth ones. Jack tells Sam to demonstrate the P90’s effectiveness. The Jaffa leader scoffs at the idea of an Earth woman providing any kind of weapons demonstration. Jack, now fully aware of all Carter is capable of, adds something to the challenge: he wants her to hit a moving target. What I love about this scene is that Jack chooses Carter, his second in command, as his best shooter. Â he shows so much confidence in her abilities (because he knows full well by now) that all the while he’s smirking at the Jaffa’s dubiousness, just waiting for her to show them all up. View Carter’s demonstration below:
The third moment comes from “Death Knell” where Carter is stranded on a planet alone with an Anubis super-soldier drone hunting her. If you haven’t seen the show, these things are scary deadly and all but indestructible. Injured from an explosion, Carter hobbles around the woods, dripping blood, and somehow eluding the drone, though there are a few close calls. By the end of the episode, dehydrated, bleeding, wounded, exhausted Carter saves herself by finding a downed SGC drone and configuring it to fire a missile at her enemy. This buys her enough time for Jack to find her with the only weapon capable of stopping the super-solider. When they finally do, Jack asks Carter if she’s ready to go home, completely perplexed as to why she’s not on her feet, putting on a tough front. He stares at her, confused, as she says she needs to rest for a minute. And then you realize, Jack is thrown off because in seven years, he has never seen her this vulnerable. This moment shakes him so much, that he sits down beside her and puts an arm around her for comfort: a big military no-no. And she’s never needed comfort before. That she accepts it in no way diminishes her strength. It accentuates it.
Carter no longer has anything to prove to Jack, or any other member of her team, or any other man in the military. Jack knows. They all do.
Alright, so we’ve covered the toughness. What else? Samantha Carter is so smart…. “How smart is she?” She’s so smart that you can barely understand half of what she says. “Could the beam we saw be a means to access the gate’s subspace field in order to create some kind of time inversion outside of subspace?” An uncomprehending Jack stares back at her. She says, “I’m going to go run some simulations.”
Which leads me to another thing I love about Carter. When she isn’t out exploring strange, new worlds, kicking ass on every planet in the galaxy, she is in her science lab on base doing experiments, inventing world-saving technology, and writing books on Astrophysics and Wormhole Theory. Is she out at the bar trying to find a man? No. Is she worried about aging as a single woman? No. Is she worried about getting married and having kids? As if! She is married to her work. You mean, gasp, a woman can be completely happy and fulfilled by something other than romance and family life? Who wouldn’t be? She has the best job in the world! Who wouldn’t drop everything right now to travel through the Stargate? Why should men have all the fun?
One last thing, Sam is a problem solver who never gives up. Given enough time, her brain will devise the solution to any problem whether it’s saving a planet or an individual life. And if there’s a sun in her way?
Yes, one time, Samantha Carter actually blew up a sun! I should leave it there, because that one’s pretty difficult to top. But then there’s that time she punched Ba’al in the face because he was stupid enough to question her intelligence:
Simultaneously, she makes Teal’c smile: a rarity indeed. Alright. I’ll leave it there, or else I’ll go on all day. But the evidence speaks for itself. Colonel Samanta Carter is and always shall be a kick-ass woman of Scifi.
Alyssa Waugh 