Analysis by Denise, HW Humor

Before we can analyze the character, we should go over the known background information. Sam is one of two children of Jacob Carter and a canonly unnamed wife. Her brother Mark has two children, a boy and a girl and we also do not know their, or their mother's names. Her brother and his family live in San Diego as of season three's Seth.

Sam is a Theoretical Astrophysicist and currently a major in the US Air Force. She served in the Gulf War in the early nineties and after that, worked at the Pentagon. She worked on deciphering the Stargate and feels that she should have gone on the original mission, yet for some reason, did not.

She did go through the gate the second time, a year later, and is now assigned to the SGC. Currently she is a member of SG-1, under the command of Colonel Jack O'Neill.

During the course of the show, Sam has changed a lot from the character that first stepped into the briefing room. She is far more confident and cynical now. She was blended with the Tok'ra Jolinar and was changed by that experience. Physically, she has traces of naquadah in her blood, along with a unique protein marker left behind as her body absorbed the body of Jolinar. She is capable of using both the ribbon weapon and the healing device, although she seems to lack some skill, or perhaps desire, to use them well.

Recently, we have seen her taking more and more of a command presence suggesting that command of SG-1 or her own team, may eventually be hers. In reality, this has been brought about by RDA reducing his personal workload.

Family

Sam's family has no doubt contributed to forming the character into the one we see today. Her mother died when she was young, about pre-teen. Because of that, relations between the Carter men have been strained. Mark blamed Jacob and Jacob's job for the death of Sam's mother. The rift was so great, Mark wouldn't even come and visit Jacob in the hospital when he knew his father was dying.

It seems that there really wasn't much of an issue between Mark and Sam, until she chose to join the Air Force. Then Mark's dislike of the military colored his relationship with his sibling and it seems that, up until around Seth, Sam had very limited contact with her brother.

The father/son relationship seems to be better now, Selmac likely mellowing Jacob enough to lose his stubborn streak and compromise a little. This has also lead to the sibling relationship becoming a bit closer as well.

I see the tension between Sam and the rest of her family definitely coloring not only her outlook, but also her behaviors. She is a very independent person, seemingly comfortable or at least accepting, of a lack of family ties. I think this also makes her a very reserved person, not unfriendly, but definitely not open until she gets to know someone. Her joining the military likely reinforced this emotional independence. Having no real family issues, she was able to devote herself almost entirely to her studies and her career.

We do know that she was engaged at one point to Jonas Hanson. The engagement was broken off on Sam's side when she realized that he 'liked control'. There has been much speculation about whether or not there was physical abuse. Personally, if there was, it was very limited. I see the first time he raised his hand to be the last.

I think it's more likely that he attempted to run her life in some way, perhaps even going as far as suggesting that she leave the military to be a 'proper wife' and she refused, which likely led to the breakup of the engagement.

Her relationship with her father has definitely warmed since the character was first introduced in Secrets. Then, she had to do a double take to recognize him across the room, and even after she knew he was sick, she seemed to fear his rejection, not going to visit him knowing that he didn't seem to want her there. I do think that fear was mutual, almost like Jacob was afraid to ask her to be around, fearing that she'd say no, she stayed away, fearing that he'd tell her to go. Now, after the blending with Selmac, Jacob is a lot warmer and even loving in recent years.

I do think that now, between season six and seven, that Sam's starting to hear ye olde biological clock ticking. I think she is at the point of her career that she can make the choice to try for a personal life. Whether or not she makes this choice has yet to be seen.

Career

We can infer from the show that Sam joined the military, maybe not because she was fond of it, but because it was a better chance for her to attain her dream of becoming an astronaut in the shuttle program, the phrase 'Air Force Academy Graduate' easing her way through some stiff competition.

We can only presume that she remained in the military because she discovered that she enjoyed it and the opportunities it offered. She certainly had ample time after graduation to find a job in the civilian arena. I do think, however, that the tuition assistance offered by the military had something to do with it, at least at first. I really don't see her accepting any sort of financial aid from her father.

We know little of her career previous to the Stargate program. She served in the Gulf War and logged 'over 100 hours in enemy air space', yet she doesn't wear pilot's wings, suggesting that her time in the air wasn't as a pilot.

She also worked on the Stargate Program at the Pentagon prior to the first Abydos mission. We also know that she seemed to dabble in some different types of projects, citing her familiarity with hypnosis and her friendship with Dr. Timothy Harlow, a biologist.

She doesn't seem to want to ride her father's coat tails, this is supported by the fact that Jack didn't know that dad was a general in Secrets and that Sam didn't invite Jacob to the medal ceremony, Hammond did. I tend to think she was afraid of the stigma of being the 'general's daughter' and instead almost denied the relationship. It wouldn't surprise me to find out that Jacob didn't even know where she was stationed from time to time.

At times, Sam seems almost embarrassed by any of her successes, often downplaying or ignoring any accomplishments. This is something that I think is common in 'gifted' people. In a desire to fit in, they trivialize their differences, sometimes disguising their intelligence to appear to be at the same intellectual level as their peers. I think Sam is one that did this, and sometimes still does it today.

I think her career is important to her, but that part of her devotion to the military may stem from it having the best toys rather than a firm belief in the military in general. It likely started out as a means to an end that turned into a career. And I think it is something she may eventually turn her back on, if given a good enough reason.

Future

There are times when I can see Sam remaining in the military for several more years. Her career has become important to her and I can see her staying at least long enough to make Lt. Colonel or Colonel, if for no other reason than retirement benefits. It is possible that she would remain in until she made General, yet I also see her feeling the need for a family and having to decide if she could manage or juggle both. She would likely need to remain in the military at least 5-10 more years if she is to gain enough command experience to allow her to be promoted much further than Lt. Colonel.

Now we're getting into the area where her biological clock is against her. Sam is mid to late 30's and, if she wants children, she is running out of time. This is also assuming she is able to have children. It's a fact that's never been addressed in canon (other than 2010, and since that future now doesn't happen, technically it's never been addressed).

If she were to have a family, I see her leaving the risky position of being on a field team and accepting a safer, Earth-side position in the labs or perhaps a less risky position on a second contact team. I feel that after knowing what it's like to lose a parent, if she has children she wouldn't risk her life and chance leaving her children motherless.

This is, of course, assuming she marries and has children. I honestly think she would. In recent years, family has become important to her, and she would 'settle down' if she could find someone to settle down with. She's also been faced with her own, and others, mortality and I think that rather 'invincible' attitude she had in season one has been replaced with a more pragmatic one that the future is not guaranteed.

Sam Carter has her flaws. She does tend to be rather obsessive about a current project, developing a tunnel vision that can prevent her from finding a solution. She can be pessimistic and quick to discount a theory. She is very trusting of the Tok'ra, which can be a source of tension between her and her other teammates.

She has earned Jack's and Hammond's complete trust, which may back fire some day. They trust and back her implicitly, but if she's ever totally wrong about a theory or idea, their trust may lead them to follow rather than question and it could have tragic consequences.

I have thoroughly enjoyed how Sam has grown in the last 6 years, changing from a 'captain with a chip on her shoulder' to a 'confident and competent major' at ease with herself and her friends. Sam has become more open, now not afraid to appear weak or vulnerable in front of her peers. She's accepted the command situations she's been given and as I watch, I can't help but think that she is being groomed to eventually be given a command of her own.