Tapping Already Looking To 'Atlantis' Season 5

But for Amanda Tapping, who is now in her 11th year playing Samantha Carter in the Stargate universe, she isn’t worried at all.

"I felt that we really had to tread lightly not only as Amanda, but as Sam Carter," Tapping told reporters during a Wednesday phone conference. "If I had any qualms, it would’ve maybe been in Season 6 or 7 [of 'Stargate SG-1']. That was just a matter of going up to the writers and asking what’s next, and they always came up with something."

Tapping brings Carter over to "Stargate: Atlantis" for the show’s fourth season, replacing Torri Higginson who spent three years as Elizabeth Weir. While Weir was more of a bureaucrat, Carter brings a desire to be a part of the action, but it’s still not the same Carter fans saw for a decade on "Atlantis'" sister show.

"The buzz that I’m reading is varied," Tapping said. "There are some excited fans out there who are glad to see her out there and glad to see her in command, and there are some fans who have some trepidation. The only thing I can say is that as long as they keep their hearts open, and are accepting the fact that everything has to change at some point."

And Carter won’t be as hands-on as Tapping would like.

"It’s a much different role," she said. "I’ve gone offworld just three times this year, and it’s extremely hard. It’s especially frustrating for Carter to say that you have to go, and watch people go without her. I’m kind of lost without my P-90, too. She doesn’t go offworld nearly as much as she likes."

"Stargate: Atlantis" begins its fourth season on Friday on SciFi Channel, but filming of the entire 20-episode season is almost complete with just the final two episodes to go. That has given Tapping a chance to see how her character grows in her new role.

"I’m very happy with the way the character was being introduced," Tapping said. "Bringing Carter from 'SG-1' to 'Atlantis' was handled seamlessly.

"I credit the writers with making it a fairly easy transition for her. [Carter’s] discomfort comes from the fact that she is completely out of her element. She is a woman who spent her entire career taking orders, and is suddenly in a position where she influences people’s lives by the decisions she makes. In that respect, she is really struggling in some ways, too, to find that strength."

But Carter won’t be alone for long. Teal’c will stop by for at least one episode.

"Christopher Judge showed up this year, and it actually made a lot of sense," Tapping said. "It’s an episode that he does with Ronon (Jason Momoa) as the resident expert on being the new alien on board. Teal’c has a lot of information he can pass on to Ronon."

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