Stargate is Officially Ruined

senordingdong

http://www.gateworld.net/news/2005/11/clau...isg-1icas.shtml



Claudia Black has sauntered her way into the hearts of many Stargate fans this year, playing the sexy thief Vala Mal Doran in eight episodes of SG-1's ninth season. Now Black is set to join the long-running series as a full-time cast member.

Black will join Ben Browder ("Cameron Mitchell"), Amanda Tapping ("Samantha Carter"), Christopher Judge ("Teal'c"), Michael Shanks ("Daniel Jackson"), and Beau Bridges ("Hank Landry") for the successful series' tenth season, premiering next summer on The SCI FI Channel.

The 33-year-old, Sydney-born actress is best known to sci-fi fans as Officer Aeryn Sun on SCI FI's late, lamented series Farscape. She has also appeared in such films and TV series as "Pitch Black," "Queen of the Damned," Hercules, and more. She made her first Stargate appearance in Season Eight, hijacking the Earth ship Prometheus and attempting to sell it to a pair of fellow thieves in "Prometheus Unbound."

Black appeared in the first six episodes of Season Nine, pinch-hitting for co-star Amanda Tapping during her maternity leave. Vala will return for the final two episodes of the season this March.

Yisser thoughts?

ixoy

I enjoyed her guest appearances but I think they should just be that - guest appearances. She's fun in does but her character tends to try and dominate every scene she's in. She does work wonderful with Shanks but it's not quite yet the Daniel and Vala show that I want.

Still I expected this to be announced and I'm pretty sure Mr Ding Dong here is sure this is part of the ratings conspiracy

Kevok

I think this is great. Black and Shanks have some amazing screen chemistry that shows well in their characters. Unfortunately though, this will do nothing to shake the fargate sg-1 feeling.

bizmark

ugh its going to be never ending sexual indoendo (sp?) for the 10th season

Cy_Revenant

As long as they don't get lazy with the script writing it shouldn't be too bad.
They did make it this far, one actor is not going to ruin them.

trishw78

it is a bit fargate you can still see the chemistry between Browder & Black

senordingdong

ixoy wrote:

I'm pretty sure Mr Ding Dong here is sure this is part of the ratings conspiracy

Oh my god!
I think you're onto something!

But seriously, eventually (quickly more like) everyone will grow tired of her routine, and so the writers are going to have to change her to keep things going.
And then, those who like her will be left with a different Vala then the one who has 'won their hearts'.

Pepe LeFrits

I'm beginning to lose interest in SG1 at this stage anyway.

Senbotsu

Well if you don't like her in SG-1 not to worry if you saw last weeks episode she has been transported to the Auri's galaxy. So you wont be seeing her for some time.

*Excuse if I spoiled it on anyone but I forgot how to do the spoiler tags*

The Free Man

i had a feeling she'd be back: 'oh my god, it seems that a matter stream left the ship just before the explosion!! i must have gone through the black hole!'

Horatio

I say lose Carter and bring on Vala, with Jack gone the show
is going to struggle and the on-screen chemistry between Vala and Jackson is brillant. Any show that lasts into a ninth season and lets face it, there are'nt many, have got to come up with original and fresh ideas to stay on top and the writers on Stargate are doing just that, why else would they get a green light for a tenth season ?
I say run with it!

senordingdong

Horatio wrote:

Any show that lasts into a ninth season and lets face it, there are'nt many, have got to come up with original and fresh ideas to stay on top and the writers on Stargate are doing just that,

Sex jokes?
Tits and ass?

These are fresh ideas?

The_Goose

I agree that character was fun for a while but a full season of her would be a bit much. Although if her character was to change some how while shes away it could be a great assest to have her and jackson having their fun and still keep the the gate in fargate!!!

Nietzschean

personally the vala/daniel onscreen stuff has been about the only good thing in this series of sg1, its utterly utterly woefull. How the mighty have fallen, sga is even better than sg1 now
they should really have just killed off sg1 when RDA left. Ben trying to take his place hasn't proved entertaining in the least....... I've wanted to puke when i saw his 'heroic' interduction lark, and well the feeling just hasn't gone away.

That whole medieval solder thing too...my god.....[/spoiler]. I have season's 1 - 7 on dvd, i'm contemplating getting 8 though its nothing as good as the other 7, but purely for daniel talking with the other ascended beings was cool. But not a hope in hell of me getting 9 or 10, heck i doubt i'll watch 10........

dudara

She was mildly amusing as a short-term guest. I'd hate to see her there full-time. Her guest role in the show gives it a comic-type feel. I am personally beginning to lose interest in SG1 after all this time, and her roles have had a lot to do with it. I was delighted when she left a few episodes ago

Boro

Maybe im running against type then but i really loved Vala in stargate. Maybe thats because i never got into Farscape so i havent been over-exposed to Black? Loving the new series.

senordingdong

If you like that type of humour you should watch Will and Grace, not Sg-1.

Boro

senordingdong wrote:

If you like that type of humour you should watch Will and Grace, not Sg-1.

Vala adds comedic moments. True, if overused, this would be a bad thing. But Stargate has never taken itself too seriously. Think back to wisecracking Jack. Barely an episode went by without some sort of joking going on, or people walking around with giant spanners, etc.

The true genius of the show is that it has merged the funnies with the serious. Think of the death of Doctor Fraiser. Or more recently, the burning alive of Vala. The format has always been to make you laugh, while getting across a (semi)serious story.

To compare all that to Will and Grace (in my opinion, a monstrously awful show that doesnt even come close to the definition of funny) is a stretch. Maybe you could inflict your underdeveloped sense of humour on someone else?

senordingdong

You think it's a good thing that show as good as Stargate, with a great merge of drama and humour, has resorted to sex jokes, then it is you with the underdeveloped sense of humour.

The jokes added by Jack fit in, Vala's do not.

The_Goose

I miss RDA

Kojak

The_Goose wrote:

I miss RDA

I dont think you're the only one. Many of the people I know think that since RDA left the show hasn't been the same. I tend to agree with them, unfortunatly.

Boro

Not all jokes and situations involving Vala are about sex. Some of them are, but that is the character of Vala. Remember the first episode she appeared in when she took over the prometheus? She is cold and practical when it suits her and tries to use her body/sex appeal to gain any advantage she can.

She is different to what we are used to - having Carter as the main female protagonist for so long means that we have gotten used to demure and understated. Vala is brash and overstated. There is a lot of potential in her, and to write it off as "resorting to sex jokes" is a little short sighted. I dont particularly want to get into a slagging match as obviously we both like the show. We just have different opinions about some of the characters.

Its my opinion though that Vala is a good character to have, as long as its not used as a crutch by the script writers. Until then, may Vala continue stealing, lying, flirting and maneuvering for advantage. I think there is more to her character than all that, and we have had glimpses. She could yet turn out to be a deep and rich character.

So, sit back, enjoy and try not to dislike the introduction of something new... too much.

senordingdong

Boro wrote:

Not all jokes and situations involving Vala are about sex. Some of them are, but that is the character of Vala. Remember the first episode she appeared in when she took over the prometheus?

I know that not all her jokes are sex, (maybe 99.9%)...but her jokes are so in your face, and I dislike that compared to the subtle humour we've been used to.
I remember Prometheus Unbound and I liked her appearance in that, but the six episodes she appeared in this season were too much. The charcter the writers wrote just didn't seem capable of holding her own for more than one episode, but her being there was necesary to replace Sam. And now....a full time member...that's just not gonna work out.

I dont particularly want to get into a slagging match as obviously we both like the show.

I don't think this is a slagging match...we're merely discussing the matter.

Horatio

You both make good points but as it stands at the moment Rodney McKay and John Sheppard have a better on screen prescence than the cast of SG1.
T'elc has gone downhill rapidly with the big robes and the hair and Carter is just not herself lately, I mean she has to use short doctor ( can't think of his name ) in the lab for jokes and fun, RDA is sorely missed on this point but thats why Vala works and could work in a more permanent way.
She at least is not one dimensional, she's not just pretending to be someone she's not proven quite well I thought with the burning scene with the Ori, very well acted, the rest of the cast have always excelled with those kind of performances in the past and I think they are starting to let things slide a little.