Vala Mal Doran Discussion

[Hatusu]

I liked the character better in "Flesh and Blood" because Vala as written by Robert C. Cooper was a three dimensional person. She still had her sense of humor but she was more mature and believable. That gave me hope for the season, but her character has regressed to childhood. It's just weird.

[IrishPisano]

I liked the character better in "Flesh and Blood" because Vala as written by Robert C. Cooper was a three dimensional person. She still had her sense of humor but she was more mature and believable. That gave me hope for the season, but her character has regressed to childhood. It's just weird.

kudos and green to you for i agree completely

[Skydiver]

yeah it is. And the other characters' reactions to her childishness is the most puzzling. Everyone seems to lack the ability to tell her 'dude, chill out'

they just roll thier eyes and move on.

it's very unrealistic

for those of you that watch atlantis, Rodney McKay rants. as in goes off on a tear, ranting about expecting the impossible, etc, etc.

shep is the only one that really calls him on it. the others kinda do but most of the time they indulge.

those rants, while funny, are to the detriment of the character. In small doses, sure. they work to break up the tension. but when you get 2-3 per episode week after week after week, what viewer isn't wanting to toss something at the set and tell him to shut up??? or at least recommend a doc to prescribe him some ritalyn

Vala's outspokenness in small doses does make sense. as does her zeal for everything. but the key here is, imho, quality over quantity. don't use her brashness in every act of every episode. it'd be like teal'c literally saying noting but indeed.

use that trait to accentuate teh character and situations, and don't let it become her sole reason for being in the show

[senordingdong]

A LOT of people think A LOT is really one word. Ignoring that fact is stupid and really pisses A LOT of people off.

That should really say 'pisses off a lot of people.

Ok, list for me all the sex jokes and supposed ''tits and ass'' we've had in season 10 so far.

3...

2...

1...


...Go!

You can't seriously be disagreeing with me on this?

[ForeverSg1]

The problem I have with Vala is the same issue I have with Mitchell and everything else in S9 & S10 and that’s an inconsistency in writing. I truly believe the writers have forgotten that SG-1 was never a comedy. It’s a Sci-Fi action adventure that takes place within a military setting with hints of comedic undertones. Even with Jack, he was not constantly joking around and when he did they were normally not written in a way that the joke took you out of the storyline in order to highlight the joke which I think is very much the case now.

A lot of people say that Vala is the best thing to have happened to SG-1 which makes me wonder what exactly these people watched the show for in the first place. I mean what elements of the show were entertaining to them, because it seems rather obviously it wasn’t the military aspect of the show. As others have pointed out, Vala has turned SG-1 into a three ringed circus. Yes, she’s an alien and she does things differently, but so were Teal’c and Jonas and the writers managed to add them into storyline without making any of the other members of the SGC look badly, which has not been the case with Vala.

The sad thing is before season nine I think the Air Force was rather proud of the fact that SG-1 represented them on television. The show was not perfect by any means, but it did seem to truly respect what these men and women did on a daily basis. The producers cared enough about the military protocol to actually use an Air Force advisor in order to keep things as close to real life as possible and the Air Force obviously appreciated what they saw because two Chiefs of Staff, General Ryan and General Jumper, agreed to appear on the show as themselves; and in 2004 Richard Dean Anderson was given a special award by the Air Force for his portrayal of General Jack O’Neill and the show's positive depiction of the Air Force. I seriously can not imagine any of that happening with Stargate’s current incarnation. Stargate has lost its appeal to me because the writers seem to have lost their understanding of what made the show so appealing in the first place. If the writers were tired of dealing with the military constraints of the SGC, then why didn’t they take the time to write a story arc which put the SGC under civilian control? Even a joint military/civilian partnership would have been more plausible than what they have chosen to do in S9. If they had then I could have understood why there were two Lt. Colonel’s on one team. It would have been cool to see a civilian bring in Mitchell as the new leader of SG-1 and Landry argue that the military didn’t do things like that and vocalize that he was dead set against two high ranking officers being placed on the same SG team. It would also have added a bit of conflict to the new show as well as been more believable as to why Vala would be allowed to remain at the SGC since the SGC would no longer be under the same protocols and rules as before; but as it is, she just makes everyone else look incompetent or out of character.

In S8’s Prometheus Unbound, I somewhat enjoyed Vala and if the writers hadn’t of made the episode a complete farce I probably would have enjoyed it more; however, the entire crew of the Prometheus and members of the SGC were made to look like idiots in order to allow Vala to be funny. Sadly this was not the end of the dumbing down of the show in order to heighten the humor surrounding Vala.

In Avalon, under Daniel’s request, Vala was actually allowed through the Stargate. Did they arrest her upon sight? No. Did they throw her into the brig? No. Did they even seem the least bit concerned that this was the same woman hijacked the Prometheus right out from under their noses? No! Oh sure we heard Landry make a few comments to Daniel, but he allowed Daniel to talk him into it. Oh come on, even Daniel isn’t THAT naïve! They seemed to completely ignore the fact that this woman managed to do what no other person or group had done before and yet they just closed their eyes to that fact in order to push the plot along. No only that, but then they take her out of the SGC to Washington so she can make lewd comments to the Congressional Committee and I’m suppose to respect Landry for these decisions?

I don’t blame Vala or Claudia for these issues, because like Mitchell the writers never really decided where they wanted to go with her. Watching her each week has been like a rollercoaster ride, filled with bumps and neck jarring twists that make you wonder where the hell the writers are thinking. One episode she’s an extremely competent space pirate, the next she’s an immature, lascivious, treasure seeker who can’t seem to keep her mind off Daniel’s body and the next she’s sacrificing herself to save SG-1 or acting like a five year old. There is absolutely no consistency at all to how the character is written and it’s obvious that none of the members of SG-1 really respect her. She’s there simply as an annoyance and a chuckle.

I agree with what a previous poster said that blandness can be the death of a television series and Vala may add a bit of humor and pizzazz for some, but there are good ways and bad ways to add humor and to add a character like Vala to the show and I think the writers made a very poor decision in the way they chose to present Vala, Mitchell and Landry to the Stargate universe.

I truly liked the idea of a rogue space pirate. In my mind, Vala had all the potential in the world to be a really great character and in my opinion the show has been in dire need of another female character for years. So I liked the idea of Vala as a new adversary. She was beautiful. She was extremely intelligent - capable of by-passing the Prometheus’ security systems quite easily. She was extremely resourceful and an excellent tactician managing to hi-jack the Prometheus and disarming its entire crew single-handedly. She was an ex-Gou’ald host with the capability to use healing and ribbon devices. Personally, I saw Vala as a unique character, who if written properly, could have added a great deal of depth and interesting character interactions for the other members of SG-1. The only thing I didn’t particularly like about Vala in Prometheus Unbound was her constant sexual innuendos. If they had simply toned that aspect of her down, I would have loved to see Vala interact with SG-1. I could see them having a working relationship with her much like Jack did with Maybourne. It would have been interesting to see SG-1 need Vala and work with her even though they didn’t really want to because they were never sure if she was going to double cross them or not. Claudia/Vala could have some really nice elements to the show, but instead the writers couldn’t let go of their pubescent mentality and chose to turn Vala into a joke literally and figuratively.

Honestly, after six episodes I still have no clue why Vala is allowed to remain at the SGC and I really can not fathom why she is allowed to go out on missions with SG-1. She’s childish. She’s NOT a team player. She doesn’t listen to anyone. She makes even Landry look completely inept at controlling her and I can’t imagine any General allowing her to remain under his command. And while some people may find Vala’s behavior extremely amusing, others like myself find it highly annoying. While I think it’s totally out of character for Daniel to blow up around Vala the way he does, I can honestly understand his frustration because I think I probably would have killed her by now. But most of all, I’m tired of the other characters on the show being written to be the straight man to Vala jokes. I’m tired of watching Vala act improperly and the rest of SG-1 simply rolling their eyes and shrugging as if there is nothing they can do about it. The SGC is a military facility and they have been kind enough to allow Vala to remain there as a guest; however, if she can’t learn to play by their rules then maybe its time they give her the boot. People keep saying give the writers some time. I’m sure they’ll start writing Vala better soon. Well I’ve given them fourteen episodes to change my mind about Vala: to give me something really substantial to like about her. If she had just been any other recurring character I wouldn’t care so much, but it was their decision to toss her onto the show as a regular and I think they’ve done a really poor job at writing a truly likable character. I’m not trying to suggest that no one likes Vala. I know like Mitchell she has her supporters, but I really think the writers did a very crappy job of writing solid characters and now the three original characters are being written out of character in order to make the new guys appear more interesting.

Unlike some I don't hate Vala, but I'm extremely disappointed in how the writers have chosen to depict her; and I'm especially troubled because like Amanda I think Claudia is an immensely talented actress who has the ability to do amazing work if/when given the opportunity; but unfortunately Vala may never evolve into the great character she could be, because the writers have already proven with Sam, Weir and Teyla that women, while pretty to look at, don't merit the same quality storylines as their male counterparts.

[stewsith]

She adds even more humour to the show (in a good way) and a sexyness that the show has never had before.

[Skydiver]

Honestly, after six episodes I still have no clue why Vala is allowed to remain at the SGC and I really can not fathom why she is allowed to go out on missions with SG-1. She’s childish. She’s NOT a team player. She doesn’t listen to anyone. She makes even Landry look completely inept at controlling her and I can’t imagine any General allowing her to remain under his command.

so, in a lot of ways, vala is the epitomy of SG-ME. She doesn't seem to want to join the team as much as move right in and take over

[IrishPisano]

She adds even more humour to the show (in a good way) and a sexyness that the show has never had before.

that's what made the show so good, though, the lack of humor and sex... not every show has to be about jokes and sex... its stupid and infantile... people watched SG-1 and loved it because it was a well-written scifi military drama.. not a soap opera

[Skydiver]

that was what i enjoyed about it. that it was nice adult (and not *ahem* adult ) entertainment.

dashes of humor, drama, a continuing storyline and some very intelligent scripts.

with vala she seems to be given the middle school version of 'humor' and it doesn't appeal to me.

much of what she does is 'humiliation humor'. the bully equivalent of wedgies or swirlies. setting itup so that someone's lunch ends up in thier lap, dumping water on their head, inviting them to a party, telling them that it's costume when it's not, that kind of, well cruel humor

Many of her lines, while funny in a way, aren't classy. and the show used to be so classy adn smart

vala is just, unfortunately, the personification of the dumbing down of the show. it's great that it appeals to some. good for them. I just miss the class act that it used to be

Think back to the very beginning...and think to Sam. Would that character be as popular as she is if she used to be just like vala??

a relatively unknown actress with no real fanbase - so this eliminates all the 'we loved claudia in....so we love her now' folks

If sam had been written like vala is, do you think that she'd be as popular?

vala is a short term, flash in the pan, type of character with nowhere near enough of a foundation to exist for any span of time.

[LORD MONK]

She adds even more humour to the show (in a good way) and a sexyness that the show has never had before.

Yes, that's all great. But why the hell is he on SG-1? She is bringing this so called military team down and turning it into a circus. For one thing you don't back talk a General, EVER. And if you do you won't do it again for KP sucks. Can you amagine what Jack would have done if she disobayed a direct order from HIM.

[Pitry]

yeah it is. And the other characters' reactions to her childishness is the most puzzling. Everyone seems to lack the ability to tell her 'dude, chill out'

they just roll thier eyes and move on.

it's very unrealistic

for those of you that watch atlantis, Rodney McKay rants. as in goes off on a tear, ranting about expecting the impossible, etc, etc.

shep is the only one that really calls him on it. the others kinda do but most of the time they indulge.

those rants, while funny, are to the detriment of the character. In small doses, sure. they work to break up the tension. but when you get 2-3 per episode week after week after week, what viewer isn't wanting to toss something at the set and tell him to shut up??? or at least recommend a doc to prescribe him some ritalyn

Vala's outspokenness in small doses does make sense. as does her zeal for everything. but the key here is, imho, quality over quantity. don't use her brashness in every act of every episode. it'd be like teal'c literally saying noting but indeed.

use that trait to accentuate teh character and situations, and don't let it become her sole reason for being in the show

Have to disagree, both about Rondey and Vala.

Rodney is the only character out of the Atnaltis ensemble that comes out flashed as a true, 3D human to me. True, they use him as the joke more often than the other characters - but all of it - his mistakes, his arrogance, his pettiness, his brilliance - he's a character that, unlike the rest of the characters IMHO, steps outside his "scientist" stereotype and shows a real human beings. People are childish and annoying and arrogant and clumsy, especially people with as low a socila register as McKay has. And that makes him a person.

It's the same - again, for me - with Vala. She's childish, she's greedy, she's self centred, but she's also looking for her place and trying to fit in, senstivie despite trying to pretend she isn't... she's a flawed, problematic human being.
I do like her wiht Daniel. Not because of ship, but because he's bringing out the most of the humanity in her. People complain she's there for the joke but at the same time she's much ebtter without Daniel - I saw her used much more as the childish joke-bringing and getting people role their eyes in Insiders and Uninvited than I did in the previious three episodes - where there was a person who took her seriously as a human being and she responded in kind.

All in all, I'm really enjoying her. I knew they'd have to tone her down when adding her as a regular because as a recurring she took over all the episodes she was in, and while I enjoyed those episodes greatly, it left no room for the rest of the characters. But they managed to find a balance and continue the process in Crusade, giving her much needed depth.

[amconway]

*post removed by author*
I removed my post because it was moved here in a way that defeated it's purpose. MerryK's response (following) made perfect sense until I removed my post in a fit of pique and left her twisting in the wind! Sorry MerryK!

[MerryK]

Well, Quetesh was the goddess of love and fertility...I think we were supposed to get the idea that some of that leaked into Vala's personality, and that, though it was fun, it was also unhealthy. Notice that the more balanced Vala gets, the less sexual advances she makes. I don't doubt that the writers were also indulging their maleness, but they did it more subtly than most IMO.

When it comes to the gender issues, yeah, Vala's behavior would be creepy if done by a man. The problem is, no matter how much equality we get in society, men will be dominant. They are usually able to overpower women if they wish, and that will always color male/female relationship. There are exceptions, of course, but gender differences matter when it comes to sexual behavior. So simply saying "We wouldn't like Vala doing that if she was male" isn't a good argument against the behavior...sexuality is one aspect of character that doesn't cross genders when it comes to acceptable standards.

But were the writers ever approving Vala's behavior? I saw a lot of fun being poked at Vala, a lot of eyerolling, and a lot of scenes where no one outright disapproved, but all the serious bits seemed to highlight the problems with Vala's behavior rather than excusing it as "fun".

[amconway]

Holy Doodle!
My last post was the beginning of a thread in which I wanted to discuss what I considered some odd writing choices, not whether Claudia Black was good for the show, so I started a new one. It was in general discussion, because it wasn't intended to be about character relationships. They moved it here, to a Vala pro and con thread (where it just took me half an hour to find, I might add!) which is the antithesis of what I intended. With the way it is written, it looks insane posted here. what the heck?! Grumble grumble....

Note-the post this refers to has been removed (2 posts back). I responded here when I saw that it had been moved, but then decided to remove it entirely....

[Admiral Q O]

I have seen several posts now in the Vala WOW thread that there is no Vala discussion thread, so I am creating one. Discuss the merits of the character, the pros and cons as you like but follow the rules, which are in keeping with both the forum rules and CB's stated wishes:

DO NOT BASH CLAUDIA OR VALA
(or any other characters she has portrayed)

DO NOT INSULT OTHER POSTERS.
(Discussion is not about name-calling. If someone disagrees with you, do not insult their intelligence, compare them to an animal, etc.)

DO NOT DISCUSS HER PERSONAL LIFE.
(aside from what she has made publically known)



Those seem like simple enough rules, right? Have fun.