Formspring Question #400--Jack/Sam Shipper Edition

Thoughts on the Sam/Jack dynamic? Personally it never resonated—it relies too heavily on the “opposites attract” idea that tv loves but that neither the actors nor writing gives enough passion/screen time to make interesting. I am all for a forbidden love/opposites attract story but it comes across as cheap unless you invest in it and make the audience care. If they had to have a romance, I think Sam/Dan would have been better—would have give Daniel something to do after Sha're?

For whatever it is worth, you asked the 400th Formspring question. Technically, you also asked the 401st as well, since it took shot to get everything in, so there you go. Just keeping track of such things.

I have only seen the first five seasons and a nickel, so I can only talk about the Jack/sam dynamic so far. All I can really say is--what dynamic? Those fans who see a romantic relationship brewing between Jack and Sam have even less to go on than those Trekkies who assured me Janeway and Chakotay were romantically inclined, too. There really is not that much there.

Many fans cite Jack’s refusal to leave Apophis’ ship when he could have saved himself, but refused to do so because Sam was trapped behind a force field, as a sign he was in love with her. I think that is manufactured. Jack has a strong emotional response to leaving anyone behind. He will not do it. Maybe he does care for sam more than he should, but he is too trapped within his own rigid moral code to give in. Frankly, sam appears to think his feelings for her is like a cute schoolboy crush. Has she ever taken it seriously? Not as of yet at any rate.

But let us assume for the sake of argument the writers are toying with a romantic relationship between the two. There are two problems. One, there is no sexual tension and two, their opposing personalities do not complement one another. (Compliment? Either word arguably makes sense here.) Jack and Sam have not had a famous antagonistic/friendly relationship in which their personalities clash, but they still have a strong bond of attraction. Take Mulder and Scully, for instance. There was sexual tension between them from nearly the beginning which solidified their relationship to the point the true believer v. Eternal Skeptic clash could always be overcome. Jack and Sam have never been that way. Heck, you could make a better case for Jack and Daniel in that regard. Minus sexual tension, but it would not surprise me if there are not some gay fans that have the notion.

The bottom line is if the writers mean for a potential relationship between Jack and sam to be obvious, they are doing a poor job with it. I agree that it would make more sense for Sam and Daniel to hook up. She has a much more emotional response when bad things happen to him than anyone else does. She obviously cares for him a great deal. Has sam ever broken down over Jack? I do not believe so. At least not a forcefully as she has for Daniel.