POLL: Vala in season 10 (spoilers & speculation for S9)

[Amanda Eros]

I'm not really sure what everyone else's opionion of Vala is, (I haven't read the entire thread) but I thought that I would at least post mine. I think that she is an okay character. At first I couldn't stand her, but she has slowly grown on me. Although if I had to pick any character to come back, it would be Jonas Quinn. It would be nice if he was visiting the SGC telling them that a Prior came, and meanwhile his planet got zapped or something. That would be a conviente way of bringing him back! Vala could visit too as long as Jonas is back.

[Uber]

WTF? - Vala replace Sam - Thats like saying get Hulk Hogan to replace Daniel

First of all, Sam is not a replaceable character, anymore than Daniel and Teal'c are. She's been with the stargate program for 10 going on 11 years. She leads the flagship team (and that was confirmed to me even more after watching Babylon). From a scientific standpoint, she's the expert on the gate and as Landry said to Jack, "there were times when ONLY Samantha Carter could have pulled your butt out of the fire."

And on top of all this, she makes a mean souffle.

To suggest that Samantha Carter could in some way be replaced with Vala??? Are you kidding??? Except for the fact that they can both use Goa'uld technology, these two characters are NOTHING alike. Carter is a woman of character and integrity...a warrior, a friend, a mother, a hero. Young girls and even NOT so young girls want to be more like her. Heaven help us all if young girls start to clamor to be more like Vala.

NOW DON'T GET ME WRONG HERE...I LIKE VALA. Vala's an intriguing character...but she could NEVER, EVER replace CARTER!

I agree with the idea of Vala being a recurring character. She brings flare and conflict and pizzazz...and I got to really care about her character in The Powers that Be. I think there's a lot of potential for her.

But she is not sustainable as a regular anymore than Jay Felger is. The things that make her an interesting addition to the Stargate universe are the same things that would make her unbearable on a week to week basis.

[Apogeal Alpha 01]

Okay, I'm a bit confused. We have 27 people who have voted for she rocks, and this choice IMPLIES having Vala as a regular even at the expense of losing a main character, yet it looks like most people who picked this choice have not made any comments about their choice?

So, this could be because they didn't interpret the first choice like you had presumed they would, or they really feel this way, or they would feel differently depending on the character being replaced?

I think this is why polls always have a margin of error, and why numbers lie, and some liars like using numbers. A valid poll would have valid, clearly stated options. If answer #2 qualifies answer #1, it should have been a part of #1. It was not, and therefore to imply that we should have known that #1 was qualified by answer #2 is misleading.

1) YES! Vala rocks! She should replace an existing team member.

[chocdoc]

Considering that, in her most recent interview, she said she'd like to stay on the show as long as it runs, it would come as a huge surprise if she didn't re-up for S10. That is, unless she "quit" in the same way that MS did after S5 (i.e., basically pushed off the show). I won't say I haven't been dreading this since P.U., namely that a move would be afoot to run AT off the show in hopes of luring the Black fandom in its place. In my gut, I've known all along it would come to this.
At least we can be thankful that, if they had to bring RDA's replacement in from another Sci-Fi show, that they went with Ben Browder and not, oh, Kevin Sorbo.

I saw this interview as well, and AT does indicate that she would want to continue with the show.

I don't think AT is being run off the show. If this were true--watch out--because a new campaign for saving sam carter would arise!!! (Unless amanda really did not want to be on the show).

And I don't think that running AT off the show lures "Black fandom" (whatever that is). It seems that most of CB's admirers are not putting Sam and Vala against one another. Now, a vocal small minority who hates sam and has for awhile--yes they might put these characters against one another, IMO---but most fans are not doing this, IMO. (And this poll seems to indicate this--particularly because a majority do not want Vala as a regular if it means replacing another character, or want her as recurring, or not at all. And it seems many who chose #1 aren't even assuming this will affect other characters.

And who knows--maybe some fans are okay with other characters getting replaced -- mitchell was mentioned, for example. Or maybe some people don't really care if Teal'c is not on the show anymore. So little is really said of Teal'c it seems. Or maybe Daniel.

I'm sticking to recurring for Vala -- small doses.

[WhatFateAlmondRoca]

Personally, I think Amanda will call it quits (kudos to her if she does) and CB will be brought in to "replace" her.

Wow, Shadow. Do you mean replace her on SG-1 or just replace her as protagonista?

I think she would have to have a complete and total epiphany, conversion, and perhaps a partial lobotomy in order to put her on SG-1. Mitchell's comments in the beginning of Beachhead about Vala being on SG-1 about sum it up for me.

She could change that dramatically, I guess.

Now, if she were to be a female protagonist, that would be interesting to see what they would do with her. I'm concerned with what we've been given so far, but I'm guess if they were to do that they would have to do more with her??? Please???

I mean, it would be pretty boring to just see them visitin' 'er in the brig all the time...

In sum, it is impossible for me to overstate how painful it would be for me to see Amanda leave. If she wants, to, though, I would want her to be happy, just as I do RDA. But, with both her at RDA gone....dunno. Maybe they would spin it off at that point.

[Agent_Dark]

Why is it, if Vala had to replace anyone, that it has to be Sam??? Do people have something against there being 2 women on the team? And what would happen if she did replace Sam? She suddenly becomes as knowledegable as one of Earth's foremost experts on the Stargate?

If I had to pick someone for Vala to replace (which I wouldn't because if Vala did come back, I want her to be a recurring guest character. Like Jacob or Bra'tac) it'd be Mitchell. Simply because Mitchell has failed to impress me so far, and Vala and Mitchell pretty much both offer the same dynamics as each other.

[ShadowMaat]

Sam seems the most logical choice to me because Amanda has the best excuse/reason for wanting to leave.

Daniel has already left and come back, and besides, he's needed to pair up with Vala.

They've spent too much time pimping Mitchell to get rid of him now. Of course, I said that about Jonas, too.

Teal'c, I suppose, has the most logical character reason for leaving. I just can't imagine Chris packing his bags.

[chocdoc]

Sam seems the most logical choice to me because Amanda has the best excuse/reason for wanting to leave.

Daniel has already left and come back, and besides, he's needed to pair up with Vala.

They've spent too much time pimping Mitchell to get rid of him now. Of course, I said that about Jonas, too.

Teal'c, I suppose, has the most logical character reason for leaving. I just can't imagine Chris packing his bags.

You know, Ben Browder only signed on until this October. Who knows what he'll want to do. He may be pleased with how things are going, he may not be. And being an actor with a steady job is a great thing---it is a difficult profession.

Amanda may have the best reason--I just hate the association between being a mom and therefore stop working (at least for awhile) whereas dads don't get that much. Note that I'm not saying you are saying that. For RDA, it made sense. He is much older so retirement from your profession makes more sense and his daughter doesn't live right there in Vancouver. Amanda does live in Vancouver, can bring her daughter to work, and they have made accomodations for her to do so.

[Agent_Dark]

Sam seems the most logical choice to me because Amanda has the best excuse/reason for wanting to leave.

Daniel has already left and come back, and besides, he's needed to pair up with Vala.

They've spent too much time pimping Mitchell to get rid of him now. Of course, I said that about Jonas, too.

Teal'c, I suppose, has the most logical character reason for leaving. I just can't imagine Chris packing his bags.

Actually I remember Chris Judge saying somewhere that Stargate would probably be the last thing he acts in. Which sounds to me that he wants to move more into the behind the camera stuff (writing and such). Of course, I'd hate to see him go, but I get the impression that he's quite interested in other aspects of film making

[binkpmmc]

snip, snip - in hopes of luring the Black fandom in its place. In my gut, I've known all along it would come to this. snip, snip

Just an observation I thought about after seeing your thought about luring Black fandom. In PR leading up to S9, TPTB pushed Black and Browder until I thought I would be sick. I have seen no evidence of any significant influx of fans, Black's, Browder's or Farscape's. The show is still hanging on to the same ratings percentages. I know the numbers behind the percentages may be a little higher due to the number of households with sci-fi channel now but there was no huge influx of viewers that created a huge ratings jump and that is when vala was front and center, In fact the ratings did fall even while vala was front and center. Honestly after the PR hype and the addition of 2 of Farscape's stars I thought that they would see ratings (at least for the first few eps, especially the season premiere), in the same range, or higher, than last years season premiere, as it was the season premiere was lower and after a few eps it went even lower. Just my observation.

[yabyumpan]

Well I voted "Yes, Vala rocks". I loved the first 6 episodes of this season, I think the last 2 eps have been pretty boring. If it wasn't for the changes that have happened this season I wouldn't have come back to the show after the 2 previous, pretty dire, seasons. I personally wouldn't mind if keeping Vala was at the expense of another character, I wouldn't mind losing Carter or Mitchell (although I'd rather not lose either). I'm not a "Sam hater" but I've grown more and more dissapointed with her over the last couple of seasons. I really want to like her again but TPTB haven't convinced me yet. Mitchell just hasn't made an impression on me yet. I love BB but at the momment I wouldn't miss his character.
I don't know why it should be an either/or situation, I think it should be possible to have a 5 person team somehow. All I know is that I've enjoyed the episodes Vala's been in far more than I've enjoyed Stargate for a long time. I'd like to see her on the show full time, if that means losing someone else then so be it.

[1DanielForMe]

I'm with the-she's okay in small doses-crowd. Vala can be really cool, at least by the last couple of episodes she was on, but she doesn't really have the right sort of character to work smoothly with the rest of SG-1 on a permanent basis. She's just too, "Vala".

[aizjanika]

I wonder how many "sock puppet" votes there will be in this poll?

What are "sock puppet" votes?

I voted NO! I can't stand her!.

I don't really feel that way, though, but this closest fits my thoughts. I dislike her, but I don't hate her. I would prefer that she not come back on the show at all--especially not as a regular or recurring character. If she must come back, an occasional guest star thing could be tolerated (by me)--more the once a year thing, no more than twice.

[AGateFan]

What are "sock puppet" votes?

I voted NO! I can't stand her!.

I don't really feel that way, though, but this closest fits my thoughts. I dislike her, but I don't hate her. I would prefer that she not come back on the show at all--especially not as a regular or recurring character. If she must come back, an occasional guest star thing could be tolerated (by me)--more the once a year thing, no more than twice.

sock puppets:
Some people sign up for gateworld with multiple user names. Sometimes they do this because they forget the password of their original account and it’s easier to create another. Sometimes so they can post in surreptitiously.

An overt example of that would be if I, AGateFan, were to sign up as ASGAFan, AB5Fan and so forth just so I could vote multiple times in a poll.... or in some instances start a thread and then post as one of the other "sock puppets" to make it look like someone is agreeing with me.... or if I'm really bored (or strange) I could actually use one of the "sock puppets" to start an argument with myself.... saw a Troll do this on another board one time... it was amusing.

I hope this helps

[Qasim]

sock puppets:
Some people sign up for gateworld with multiple user names. Sometimes they do this because they forget the password of their original account and it’s easier to create another. Sometimes so they can post in surreptitiously.

The Vala fans do this all the time so that they can leave me annoying rep messages without revealing their true selves