A Dispute!

Would Al confide in Sam about family problems?

  • Yes, absolutely!

    Votes: 2 12.5%
  • Maybe, but it would depend on the circumstances.

    Votes: 3 18.8%
  • Al may be guarded about what he tells Sam.

    Votes: 1 6.3%
  • No, definitely not.

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Combo answer: Yes, he would but he'd still be guarded.

    Votes: 10 62.5%

  • Total voters
    16

LunarCrystal

Project QL Intern
Mar 20, 2006
181
0
0
U.S.
Grr... I love my friend. No, really, I do. But sometimes we disagree. So I wanted to ask people here - in the Mecca of QL Fandom - for their opinion.

The dispute is about Al and Sam's behavior towards each other. I insisted that if there were a family situation going on in Al's life, and if he and Sam had a private moment to talk about it - say, while working on a new piece of the project - Al would confide in Sam about what's going on and how Al feels about it. Now, I know Al doesn't do the mushy thing, and that Sam a little more prone to being "mushy" - but there have been several times in the show when something was going on with Al and he'd eventually tell Sam what it was.

Leap of Faith? Jimmy? Runaway? MIA? Heck, even in Hurricane, Al glumly tells Sam that he's had a fight with Tina. It's just how Al and Sam are, and is not them acting like seventeen year old girls who wear friendship bracelets. Right?

Even keeping in mind that Al is a near-seventy year old Admiral, and Sam is a nobel prize winning scientist . . . they're still best friends, and they would talk about it if they had a chance. That's my opinion.

So, again, the question is this: If Al were going through a rough time with his family, dealing with it in the best way he knew how, and he and Sam had a private moment together at the Project, working (this is assuming Sam is now home), would he confide in Sam about his problems?
 
Carol,
I can't vote in your poll. The main reason is because it's a toss up between two of the answers: 2nd and 3rd. Yes, I think that it would depend on the situation and also that Al would be guarded.

Sam would first and foremost realize that something was wrong with Al and would question him about it, but not be pushy be all "tell me now!" He'd give Al the opportunity to discuss it. Al would probably brush off the subject knowing that he didn't want to burden anyone with his own problems. He'd be guarded. Yes. "Oh, it's nothing, Sam. Not really." Possibly after some time passed between the two of them, while working, perhaps Sam would say something that would bring the situation that Al has been brooding about to full circle and he'd blab something out about the problem, but not tell the WHOLE problem... at least not yet. Eventually, yes, he would tell him, if the situation was put to him. I mean in MIA, he didn't want to tell Sam throughout the whole episode that he wanted to save his marriage to Beth. It wasn't until Sam finally told him that if he shut that door never to open it again. It was an ultimatium, yes, but their friendship is bigger than that. We all know it is.

Al would do anything for Sam and Sam would do anything for Al. It's been shown time and time and time again. So, to answer the question: If Al were going through a rough time with his family, dealing with it in the best way he knew how, and he and Sam had a private moment together at the Project, working (this is assuming Sam is now home), would he confide in Sam about his problems?

Yes... see above... if the situation was right and Al would be guarded until he finally felt confortable with the situation as it was presented to him.

Tee-hee. How's that for an answer?
 
I think Al would confide in Sam, up to a point. Everyone has to decide how much to confide in someone else, and what to hold back. If we're talking about Beth, I think Al would be quite protective of her even if they're fighting, probably more than he would of Tina. But at some point he would talk about his problems.
 
I'm with MJ on this one. Al wouldn't out and out tell Sam, but Sam (although naive) would know something was wrong and could probably get Al to tell a little (not through demands, but by just being the sweet old Sam Beckett he is).
 
Al's response

I'm taking this is when Al and Sam are in normal circumstances. While leaping, Al had shown that he is willing to occasionally share more openly...probably cause he knows that Sam will probably forget the information later. Athough as time goes on they become closer and closer (see sequel piece below.)

However, in a prequel, it really depends on where in the prequel. If right after they meet...Al would be incredibly guarded with any personal information. The continuum of willingness to share would change over time...Al would probably eventually say something to Sam but only when he felt comfortable doing so...and at different levels of information sharing...he wouldn't have something happen and immediately tell Al about it. Sam, himself, would be more open right from the start, but even he isn't someone that just unloads without some comfort zone being reach depending on the information being shared.

If a story is about after Sam comes home. Yeah. I think both Sam and Al would be more open to each other. The relationship that is formed during the leaping has created a whole new dynamic between the two men...they are as close as two men can be after that. Neither become gushing and the wall's would be up in their individual interactions with others...but between the two of them? They have an understanding that would often go beyond verbal communications so I think both would feel each was the other's confessor to some extent. That relationship is so very deep.
 
newleaper said:
I'm with MJ on this one. Al wouldn't out and out tell Sam, but Sam (although naive) would know something was wrong and could probably get Al to tell a little (not through demands, but by just being the sweet old Sam Beckett he is).

I wouldn't call Sam naive (unless the question is sexual in nature :) .) After all, assuming this is after Sam's been Leaping, then he's pretty much faced every problem known to man - and women! - and could offer insights into problems that no one else could.

I have to agree with the majority: while Al seems like the type who is reluctant to discuss his problems with everyone, he'd probably eventually open up to Sam. And asearcher makes a good point about their bond growing during Sam's Leaping. I know there's an episode (can't remember which one, which bugs me) where Al reveals something about his past to Sam, and Sam apologizes for not remembering. Al tells him that he'd never even told Sam in the first place. This suggests that their friendship is deepening. So, to answer your question, yes, I think Al would eventually open up to Sam.
 
I know there's an episode (can't remember which one, which bugs me) where Al reveals something about his past to Sam, and Sam apologizes for not remembering. Al tells him that he'd never even told Sam in the first place.
I think you're referring to "Leap of Faith" where Al tells Sam about his father. I've always been of two minds about that. On the one hand, it can be taken for face value that Al never did tell Sam about his father. On the other (and I've used this choice when writing) I've also looked at it where, perhaps, Al did tell Sam in the past and Sam really has forgotten it. Al tells him he never told him so he doesn't feel so bad about forgetting.

As far as Al confiding in Sam, I think he would under the right circumstances. When their friendship was new, probably not as much but as it deepened, I could see him confiding in Sam. Like asearcher said, if it's a point in time after Sam's been leaping and he's come home, I can definitely see both confiding in the other because by that point the bond is so deep - especially from Sam's side where Al has been the only constant in his life. Regardless of the circumstances, I do think Al would be somewhat guarded when he confided in Sam, though. Looking at it from my own personal view, if I'm having family problems it's not something I'm necessarily going to want to talk about with someone - even my best friend. I think a family problem can almost be seen as a failing of some kind when you're directly involved in it and who really wants to point out their own failings. So, yeah, I think Al would talk to Sam - I just don't think he'd be spilling his guts the first chance he got without some prompting.
 
jmoniz said:
As far as Al confiding in Sam, I think he would under the right circumstances. When their friendship was new, probably not as much but as it deepened, I could see him confiding in Sam. Like asearcher said, if it's a point in time after Sam's been leaping and he's come home, I can definitely see both confiding in the other because by that point the bond is so deep - especially from Sam's side where Al has been the only constant in his life. Regardless of the circumstances, I do think Al would be somewhat guarded when he confided in Sam, though. Looking at it from my own personal view, if I'm having family problems it's not something I'm necessarily going to want to talk about with someone - even my best friend. I think a family problem can almost be seen as a failing of some kind when you're directly involved in it and who really wants to point out their own failings. So, yeah, I think Al would talk to Sam - I just don't think he'd be spilling his guts the first chance he got without some prompting.

And with Al... there would be some prompting of some kind. I do agree that Al wouldn't just come out and say, here's my problem. He's not that kind of guy... even with a deep emotional relationship with Sam. He's just... Al. It would also depend on the gravity of the situation and it would also depend on his emotional temperature at that moment... so... yeah. He's just Al.
 
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You know, I do agree that they have a very close friendship, but I think that the closest answer to my opinion on your poll is it would depend on the circumstances.
You see, I think most of the time at least Al is focused on the job at hand. He is there for Sam, tells him what he needs to know etc, and I really can't see him wanting to cloud Sam's mind with personal stuff when Sam has a very important job to do. Having to worry about Al may lead to Sam being "off his game" and thus jeapordising the leap. But if the circumstances were right, then I think their friendship is such that they are both comfortable enough to confide in each other - although I think I agree with someone else that Sam would need to ask. I'm not sure Al would volunteer. His experiences as a POW I think would make him tend to hold things in.