User blog comment:GiantKid/In preparation for iGoodBye an appreciation post for Carly and why I will sink/sail with Creddie till the end/@comment-5679407-20121117034617

I agree with you, GiantKid in that Dan has done Carly, and probably the show, a disservice by not giving her character more depth. Despite this, whatever depth that Carly has shown has not been lost on me. You're right that Carly--assuming that her mother is dead--does have a tragic past. But I don't think it affects her in the way that you think, let alone a comparison can be made to Sam's past. Due to her mother's presumed death, Carly, at a very young age probably had to fill that role since she's the only female member in her immediate family. Her father's absense, though straining, is justifiable as he's part of the military. Carly's relationship with Spencer is revealing in that not only does she serve as Spencer's primary female figure, but she's also serves as her own figure.

Sam, on the otherhand, isn't availed to that luxury. She can't explain the events of her past with simple notions as death and justifiable separation. Sam's father walked out on her; Sam's sister probably upstages her in everything; and Sam's mother had neglected her. When first watching Sam, before it was hinted at, I already knew why she behaved the way that she did. It's a common character archetype. Sam doesn't get any attention from those closest to her, so she behaves poorly as a means to get that attention. Carly is probably the only person who at the time gave her the attention that she wanted so much--much like a mother does.

Now, this is why I think that Sam has liked Freddie since the beginning. Sam has a crush on Freddie early on, but it's made obvious that Freddie's affection lie elsewhere (Carly.) Sam won't act out against Carly because she values her companionship. Sam wants Freddie's attention, so she acts out against Freddie, picking up early on that behaving negatively has worked in drawing attention to herself. This is visible in Seasons 1-2. Even though her interactions with Freddie during the first two years were mostly negative, she still focused a lot of her time on Freddie. Positive or negative, that's an unusual amount of attention to give someone for whom one supposedly bears no attachment. If you've ever seen the cartoon, Hey Arnold!, also on Nickelodeon which funny enough the actress Mary Scheer (Freddie's Mom) was a part of, you can draw parallels between Helga and Sam's psychology.

Now why did Freddie ever fall in love with a girl that has tormented him for so long? Because Sam is a deviation from the lifestyle that Freddie's used to, while at the same time providing a familiar element. Freddie lives by a very regulated routine--due to his mother's smothering and overprotectiveness. Sam offers freedom because she's crass, brazen, and unapologetic--she does what she wants. Freddie may see Sam as a gateway to a change in his life. You're right GiantKid in that Freddie and Carly are similar in temperament and connect, but that's probably the reason why don't make such great fit. Carly and Freddie can't do for each other, what they can already do for themselves. This is why I think Sam and Freddie make a better fit. They supplement each other. Sam offers Freddie a bit of instability and unpredicability, while Freddie offers Sam order and stability.

I pretty much agree with everything that XxArchnemesisxx said. Sam's expressions of love mean that much more because it's rare. We've only seen Sam express love towards two people, and that's Carly and, later, her mother. When she says I love you to Freddie, someone who she supposedly hated for more than 4 years, it's really profound and defining. It's also defining that Freddie tells Sam the he loves her--someone who had bullied and harassed him for several years. There's a connection between Sam and Freddie that propelled them towards one another, even though on the surface, there are a lot forces that kept them apart.

If Carly is going to date someone, then it has to be someone who can make her feel needed. And, I honestly don't think that can be fulfilled with Freddie. Look at her two closest relationships: Sam and Spencer--two dysfunctional people who need Carly. And even more to point, Carly should be with someone who offers her something that she needs; somone who is perceptive, tough, and again make her feel needed; someone a lot like Sam or Spencer. I think Carly and Freddie would make a picture perfect couple. But that's the things about pictures, they're only snapshots in which you can speculate ad infinitum.