Singularity: Sam and Daniel!

[fignewton]

Tomorrow we recap Singularity over in redial_the_gate, so I popped it in the computer while I got my forty minutes on the treadmill today.

Here's another S1 episode that I knew I enjoyed, but I'd forgotten how much I loved. Jack accidently letting people know that he has real smarts! Jack trying to cover up for it by "explaining" what a black hole is to Teal'c! Sam bonding so amazingly and drawing stick figures! (See see see? We get continuity for Learning Curve!) Every single minute of Janet! Hammond on the red phone! Teal'c improving his "friendly smile" by leaps and bounds since First Commandment! (I melted in a puddle when Cassie first laid that tiny hand in Teal'c's infinitely gentle huge one.) Teamy goodness as they all wait for Sam, and the punch of victory that Daniel gives Teal'c!

Sam and Daniel.

I will always be solidly gen, and I loved this for the marvelous friendship between the two of them. But oh, how easy it would be to reinterpret this on the ship side! There were hints before this for those that looked for it, but Singularity has got to be the official "See? See? See?" episode for Sam/Daniel fans. If I'm wrong about that, do let me know. :)

From the moment she grabbed him by the sleeve and hauled him backwards towards the Stargate, to all the times he checked up and volunteered and just sat patiently waiting, to "I'm saying you don't have to do this... alone." Such lovely, lovely connections there. For me that was wonderful friendship. I'm happy for those who look at it otherwise. :)

My personal take on Sam and Daniel goes something like this (and it's all my own fanon, so YMMV): pre-series Daniel put women into one of three categories: romantic interests, those who wouldn't even look at the geek much less talk to him, and sexless fellow-workers that shared his passion for archeology/philology/Egypt and just happened to be female. (Sarah Gardener started in category #3, became category #1 for two months, and then quickly shifted to category #2 when she discovered that their relationship would last longer if she painted herself with hieroglyphics. And Sha're was different because he fell in love with her courage and strength long before he fell in love with her.)

Then he meets Captain Doctor, and he's suddenly blown away to discover an entirely new fourth category - a brilliant, desirable woman who treats him as a professional colleague.  He's aware that she's beautiful (Emancipation) and he's aware that she's brilliant ("I knew I'd like you.") and yet she respects the boundaries of his marriage with Sha're and deals with him on a professional level. I think that Daniel loves and cherishes and respects Sam for that unique relationship.

Now, Sam. (I stress again that this is my personal fanon interpretation.) Sam has tried the typical "happily-ever-after" route and watched it fail spectacularly with Jonas Hansen. She's earned the respect of her CO, she's doing work she loves, she's a member of the top team and happily breaking the laws of physics on a weekly basis. She doesn't really need a relationship to find contentment, but she has this nagging thought that she's supposed to have one, and she can't quite get rid of it.

Enter Doctor Daniel Jackson, most emphatically taken - and therefore safe. She can be as friendly and cozy and close and feminine as she wants with him, because she knows that he's absolutely committed to Sha're and sees her as a colleague and person, not an object of desire. And knowing that he recognizes her femininity - and isn't frightened away by the combination of brains and beauty - makes that friendship even more special. She can flirt with him without worrying about it, and even admire him to the point of a bit of a crush, because she knows it isn't going to go anywhere.

When Sha're dies, Daniel is suddenly no longer safe, and Sam switches the admiration and bit of flirtation to what she perceives as the next safe target: her CO, Jack O'Neill. Since he's out-of-bounds, wistful affection is safe in his direction, and she can continue her friendship relationship with Daniel without any uncomfortable nuances. It backfires spectacularly, as she discovers that it isn't quite as safe and harmless as she thought it would be. This state of affairs continues until Grace, when her subconscious finally realizes that if she really wants a relationship, it's time to stop pining for what she can't have and do something about it. Enter Pete, who I always thought was a genuinely nice guy, even if the portrayal sometimes left a bit to be desired. And Pete lasted for over a year, until it suddenly got a little too serious, and Sam panicked at the realization that all those dreams of the white picket fence and the dog really aren't her. She's been chasing after those childhood dreams, but honestly? That's not where she wants to be. That isn't Pete's fault, although someone with the smarts to be a cop might have recognized the panic signs a little earlier. But in the end, the breakup with Pete was because Sam recognized that the typical happily-ever-after can never, ever work for someone who has walked through the Stargate.

And that's why Sam is so much happier in S9-10 - she's left all of it behind. All the baggage and the trappings and the need to manufacture a happily-ever-after when she's really quite happy-right-now. She can relax with Mitchell and joke with Vala and cherish Daniel and Teal'c, because she's one hundred percent okay with where she is and what she's doing. Good for her! :)

Now, if you've gotten this far, some minor meandering questions about Singularity: How did Teal'c recognize Nirrti's ship - did it have her symbol mounted on the prow, or graffiti reading Nirrti was here, nyeah nyeah! painted on the side? How adorable is it that Daniel has always been apprehensive about radiation, even long before Meridian? How happy was Janet to discover Jack's "Earth rule" was going to saddle her with a dog in the house? And how much of a struggle was it for all those Canadian actors to keep a straight face when little Cassandra talked about Toronto as if it was such an alien, distant culture that it would easily cover up any gaffes?

Comments

[surreallis.livejournal.com]

It's hard for me to really discuss Sam/Daniel canon, mostly because after all the interviews and scraps of convention babble I've read over the years I feel the show was thinking about actually shipping them the first two seasons. (And if not the show then at least Amanda, and especially Michael.) At the very least their friendship is something amazing and sort of unusual and it gives me glee. :)

I'm sort of down with your fanon for Sam, although I don't see her as 'pining' much before season 8, nor do I begrudge her any sort of need for a relationship. People get lonely and need other people. I think her feelings for Pete and Jack and even Daniel were perfectly valid and not so easily explained away. But, you know, different strokes.

Taking all that focus off of Sam's love life though, what's your fanon interpretation of Daniel's love life through the series?

[sg-fignewton.livejournal.com]

At the very least their friendship is something amazing and sort of unusual and it gives me glee. :)

Oh, yeah! That fits all shapes and sizes and shippers, right there. :)

I do think that it's quite possible they were considering shipping the two of them in S1-2, yes. But I like to try and analyze canon from the in-story perspective if possible.

nor do I begrudge her any sort of need for a relationship

Nor do I, most certainly. And I will concede that "pining" might be a little strong. I was using it in terms of "wishing for something that can't happen," which isn't quite the same as "being miserable about it," which is what pining actually means. Yes, I'll give you that one.

It's not a question of begrudging her the need as much as thinking that she herself wasn't quite sure what she needed. Companionship, yes. A wedding ring? I think she convinced herself about that one, but that deep down - as per Grace - she knew it wasn't the right choice for her.

It's not questioning the validity of her feelings for anyone either. I do think she loves Jack and Daniel and even Pete - but not "love" love. And I am probably not making too much sense here, am I? :)

But, you know, different strokes.

Yep yep. I'm all about the gen, but I don't want to take away other fans' enjoyment of their own interpretations.

Daniel's love life is way too detailed and complicated for a comment reply. Suffice it to say for now that my fanon interpretation keeps Vala away with a ten-foot pole, and I'll try to get something up for you in the next few days.

[surreallis.livejournal.com]

It's not a question of begrudging her the need as much as thinking that she herself wasn't quite sure what she needed. Companionship, yes. A wedding ring? I think she convinced herself about that one, but that deep down - as per Grace - she knew it wasn't the right choice for her.

Yes, that makes much more sense to me, although I think everyone sort of hopes to find that one person. I think she sort of felt like she was missing out, which she might have been. She was basically trading one life for another, as the entire team did, really. Which is why OT4 makes total sense! :P

It's not questioning the validity of her feelings for anyone either. I do think she loves Jack and Daniel and even Pete - but not "love" love. And I am probably not making too much sense here, am I? :)

You're making sense. I don't think she was 'in love' with any of them, although she was certainly romantically attracted to them (well, I can't really include Daniel in that canon-wise) and there were shared romantic feelings. The potential for love is there, but then I think we'd have to get into personal preference as to what we want to happen, and ehhh... let's just stop there.

I'd be interested in hearing about your thoughts on Daniel. Everyone is always about putting Sam's love life into personal perspective, and we don't see the guys dissected nearly as often. :)

[sg-fignewton.livejournal.com]

Which is why OT4 makes total sense! :P

::thwaps you::

"Trading one life for another" - yes, that sums it up nicely.

I should mention that this analysis for Sam isn't my POV towards marriage and so forth. But I do think it's the way Sam would see things.

Dissecting Daniel - lovingly! :) - is a favorite pastime of mine. You might have noticed. ;) So yes, I hope to get that posted for you. No promises on when, though.