Samantha Carter

"Sam Carter" redirects here. For the character in Deus Ex, see Major Deus Ex characters § Sam Carter.

For the novelist using the pseudonym "Samantha Carter, see Shanna Swendson.

Samantha "Sam" Carter is a fictional character in the American Sci-Fi Channel television series Stargate SG-1 and Stargate Atlantis, two science fiction shows about a military team exploring the galaxy via a network of alien transportation devices. Played by English-Canadian actress Amanda Tapping, Carter was a main character in all ten seasons of Stargate SG-1 (1997–2007). Following a recurring role in Stargate Atlantis for three seasons (2004–2007), Carter became a main character in season 4 of Atlantis (2007–2008). Resuming her role in the 2008 direct-to-DVD SG-1 films Stargate: The Ark of Truth and Stargate: Continuum, Amanda Tapping will only have a recurring role in fifth season of Atlantis (2008–2009)

Captain Samantha Carter makes her first appearance in "Children of the Gods", the pilot episode of Stargate SG-1, as a United States Airforce captain who joins the fictional SG-1 team under the lead of Colonel Jack O'Neill. Being promoted to Major in Season 3, Carter remains his second-in-command until her promotion to Lieutenant-Colonel early in Season 8. Carter assumes command the SG-1 team in season 8, and co-leads the team with Cameron Mitchell in seasons 9 and 10. Following the defeat of the Ori threat in Stargate: The Ark of Truth, Carter is promoted to a "full bird" Colonel and is appointed as the new commander of the Atlantis expedition early in Season 4 of Atlantis.

For her portrayal of Samantha Carter, Amanda Tapping won three Leo Awards for "Dramatic Series: Best Lead Performance - Female" in 2003, 2004, and 2005. Following four nominations in five years, Tapping won a Saturn Award in the category "Best Supporting Actress on Television" in 2005. Tapping was also nominated for a 2001 Gemini Award in the category "Best Performance by an Actress in a Continuing Leading Dramatic Role".

Character arc

Stargate SG-1

File:Samantha Carter.jpg

Colonel Samantha Carter in Stargate SG-1

Before the present-time events of Stargate SG-1, Samantha Carter worked at the Pentagon for several years, trying to get the Stargate operational. She has a Ph.D. in Theoretical astrophysics and "logged over 100 hours in enemy airspace" during the Gulf War.

She is the daughter of Major General Jacob Carter, and has a brother named Mark; her mother died in a car accident when she was a teenager.

Holding the rank of Captain, Samantha Carter joins the SG-1 team in the pilot episode. She comes under the temporary control of the Tok'ra Jolinar in Season 2 and retains many of her memories, leading to an alliance with the Tok'ra against the Goa'uld. Carter's encounter with Jolinar also assists her in detecting a Goa'uld presence and using certain Goa'uld technology. Carter is promoted to the rank of Major early in season 3. A misunderstanding of an alien technology in early season 4 forces Carter and her superior officer, Colonel Jack O'Neill, to admit that they care for one another "a lot more than [they're] supposed to".. In Chain Reaction(season 4) Carter Uses a stargate to destroy a star, by dialing the gate on the planet being consumed by black hole (a matter of time) and launching the stargate a nearby star, an imbalance was created thus causeing the satr to go nova thus destroying Apophis's fleat. Carter is the one most affected by the ascension-death of her teammate Daniel Jackson in late season 5. Two seasons later, Carter gives the eulogy for one of her best friends, Dr. Janet Fraiser.

Trapped on board the Earth ship Prometheus in Season 7's "Grace", Carter realizes that her fealings for O'Neill stop her from exploring other romances. Two episodes later in Template:Sgcite, Carter begins dating her brother's friend Pete Shanahan, but finds it hard not to disclose her job to him. In the Season 8 premiere, Template:Sgcite, Carter gets captured by a humanoid Replicator named Fifth she had first encountered in Season 6. Fifth eventually releases her but keeps a replicator copy of her, known commonly as 'RepliCarter'. Upon O'Neill's promotion to Brigadier General in the same episode, he promotes her to Lieutenant Colonel. Carter assumes command of the SG-1 team, which includes the de-ascension Daniel Jackson, the alien Teal'c, and herself. Shortly after the death of her father in late Season 8, Carter breaks up with Pete and goes fishing with Jack, Daniel and Teal'c to celebrate the defeat of the System Lords.

Season 9 reveals that Carter left SG-1 to work at Area 51 after the collapse of the Goa'uld power structure. After Lt. Col. Cameron Mitchell assumes command of SG-1, General O'Neill orders Carter to assist SG-1 on a mission concerning the new Ori threat. Carter officially rejoins SG-1 in the Season 9 episode "Ex Deus Machina", and stays a member until the end of season 10. Samantha Carter appears in the 2008 direct-to-DVD films Stargate: The Ark of Truth and Stargate: Continuum.

Stargate Atlantis

Lt. Col. Carter makes her first appearance in Stargate Atlantis at the end of its first season (airing in parallel to season 8 of Stargate SG-1), receiving a very brief data transmission from the Atlantis expedition to Earth. The Atlantis character Dr. Rodney McKay has a hallucination of Carter to help him survive in a sinking Puddle jumper in Season 2. Lt. Colonel Carter approaches McKay's sister Jeannie Miller with an offer to work for Stargate Command in Season 3. At an unknown point after the end of the Ori conflict in Stargate SG-1, Carter is promoted to a "full bird" Colonel and is transferred to the Midway space station to oversee the final stages of completion. The IOA appoints Carter as the new commander of the Atlantis expedition early in Season 4 of Atlantis. At the end of the first episode of Season Five, Ricard Woolsey informs her that the IOA has removed her from command, and that he will be replacing her.

Development

Amanda Tapping was part of the Stargate SG-1 main cast in all of its ten seasons. She did however not appear in Season 6's "Disclosure" and Season 7's "Inauguration" except for in clips from previous episodes, Season 8's "Prometheus Unbound", "Avalon (Part 2)", "Origin", "The Ties That Bind" and "The Powers That Be of Season 9 because of Tapping's maternity leave, and "Bad Guys" of Season 10.

While Amanda Tapping was part of the main cast of Stargate SG-1, she made several cameo appearances in the first three seasons of Stargate Atlantis. Amanda Tapping became a member of the Atlantis main cast for 14 episodes of Season 4. She did not appear in "Travelers", "Missing", "Miller's Crossing", "This Mortal Coil", "Spoils of War" and "Harmony".

Over the course of the two series, a number of men are in love with, infatuated with, or attracted to, Carter. This includes Jack O'Neill, Martouf, Rodney McKay, Fifth, Orlin, Agent Malcolm Barrett, Narim, Pete Shanahan, Dr. Jay Felger, her former fiancé Jonas Hanson, and her husband of a possible future Joseph Faxon. Many of these individuals have since died (Martouf {Lantash the Tok'Ra symbiont}, Fifth, Narim, Hanson, Faxon, two alternate O'Neill's), leading many of the cast and crew of Stargate SG-1 to label Samantha the "Black Widow Carter."

Reception

For her portrayal of Samantha Carter, Amanda Tapping was nominated for a 2000 Leo Award in the category "Dramatic Series: Best Lead Performance - Female" for the episode "Point of View", and won the Leo for "Ascension" in 2003, for "Grace" in 2004, and for "Threads" in 2005. Tapping was a nominated for a Saturn Award in the category "Best Supporting Actress on Television" in 2000, 2001, 2002 and 2004, and won in 2005. Tapping was nominated for a 2001 Gemini Award in the category "Best Performance by an Actress in a Continuing Leading Dramatic Role".

Further reading

• ""Amanda Speaks Out – GateWorld talks with Amanda Tapping"". gateworld.net. February 2004.
• ""Action Mom – GateWorld talks with Amanda Tapping"". gateworld.net. December 2005.
• ""A Decade With Sam – GateWorld talks with Amanda Tapping"". gateworld.net. May 2006.
• ""Looking Backward, Looking Forward – GateWorld talks with Amanda Tapping"". gateworld.net. January 2007.