Bert Samuels
The ambitious officer
- Series
- SG-1
- Rank
- Major, later colonel
- Affiliation
- USAF / Pentagon
- Played by
- Robert Wisden
A soldier better suited to the corridors of the Pentagon than to the field. From the very beginning, Major Samuels embodied the most careerist side of the military in the face of the Stargate program.
Overview
Bert Samuels appears from the very first missions as General Hammond's aide. Ambitious and focused on his career, he sees the Stargate mainly as a way to climb the ladder.
His story
Having moved over to Washington, Samuels regularly comes back to complicate SG-1's life, defending positions that are more political than military. In particular, he pushes for quick-fix solutions when Apophis threatens Earth, even if it means ignoring the opinion of the people in the field.
Samuels isn't a traitor, just a bureaucrat in uniform, the kind who thinks about his promotion first. Against SG-1's idealism, he's a reminder that humanity's greatest adventure is also a matter of stripes and rivalries.
Themes
