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

[SnoggingPicard]

Nothing against the actress, but I boycotted Sg-1 when Vala was on. Couldn't stand her, maybe because she threw off the whole team feeling, I don't know. I guess I really lost it when I saw her wearing the same uniforms that Sam does. Grrr.

[sg-1 freak]

hello

[deli]

I voted " Vala rocks" because she is the best thing that happened to the show. She is the most interesting character and i wouldn't mind at all if she replaces someone else. Especially if it's Sam, omh she is soo boring, i can't stand her. Vala rules, so she has to be a regular that would be awsome, another reason to watch the show. Without her this show is so dry, i will fall asleep.

Let's get her back.

[aizjanika]

Thank you, AGateFan, for explaining the sock puppet thing. I was imagining all sorts of weird things. hehe

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

This is getting pretty far off topic, but I've seen similar things (not here as I don't post here much) on other forums and in other online polls biased for or against other characters as well. I guess this is me channeling my father when he told me there are good and bad people in all groups. hehe

I guess I really lost it when I saw her wearing the same uniforms that Sam does. Grrr.

Sam doesn't tie them up under her boobs, though, as though she were a teeny-bopper. hehe

[Carterslave]

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

I'm having a WTF? moment here. The likely reason that AT (and, according to her, Michael Shanks as well) wants to stay on the show as long as it runs is that she's got a newborn at home (as does MS) and thus probably doesn't want to have to travel hither & yon looking for film work when she could be doing a TV series close to home. That, for instance, is the reason many actors go into TV, as when Benjamin Bratt came back to do E-Ring. The hours are predictable and you see your kids every day. If Amanda "has the best excuse/reason for wanting to leave," then so does Shanks, by that reasoning.

The point about Browder's contract running through October is well taken. His wife & kids are back in L.A., and mention was made during the Burbank con that his wife (actress Francesca Buller) was pretty depressed to have him half a continent away. IF the show gets renewed and IF for some reason Browder decides not to stay on, I suppose they could always bump Shanks up to top billing (it's not like he hasn't earned it) and give CB the "and/as" spot.
Too bad they can't bring her back as Aeryn Sun, since that character could replace Teal'c w/o the show missing a step. A whimsical solution, I'll admit, but at those of us who like CB but aren't totally taken with Vala would be mollified.

[LORD MONK]

I most diffenantly what Vala in season 10. But not a main Character or on the team. I want it to be exciting every ep. she is in. If she is in all of them then it is just likeanyone else in the show. You know she will be their. I already can't wait to see her return. It gives me something to look forward.

[rac76]

I say Vala should come back in season 10. As I have said before she can be a recurring character like Jacob was when he was on. I love the banter between her and Daniel, and I enjoy the sarcasm that she brings. Its just refreshing to have some light heartness during the show. For instance, the episode "Babylon" was good, but it just need a little something. I think that Vala could have brought that little something to it.

I can't wait to see her come back this year, and I really do hope that she makes more appearances during next season.

[ann_sgcfan]

I'm not a big fan of Vala because the team disappears when she shows up. It's no longer SG-1 and that's how the writers chose to do the first half of the season. There has been no team chemistry, except for a glimpse here or there. I have watched SG-1 for 8 full seasons and part of the 9th season and the team chemistry is one reason among many that I watch the show. So just imagine my disappointment for this and other reasons.

I simply adore RDA/Jack (miss him greatly)! I'm also a big Carter fan and I don't have a problem if Sam and Vala are on the show at the same time. It might be fun if Vala stops all the tired innuendos and shows some maturity. These two characters could keep the boys on their toes. I thought Beachhead had some good moments; Vala wasn’t over the top, but still funny and showed some development. So I'm okay if Vala is there in small doses, but never EVER as a regular or a replacement!

[esoap524]

I think she rocks, and would love to see her as a regular but I agree that the character would have to evolve to fit in better. I still wouldn't mind the quips, especially directed at Daniel, but I'd really like to see the more mature side play out against Sam. There seemed to be a smidgen of a hint of that, IMHO, in "Beachead". It seemed like Sam is the only person who seems to garner any respect from Vala.

I thought the characterization in The Powers That Be, and her interaction with Sam were two indicators, to me, that Vala can bring some more depth to the show and not completely lose what makes her stand out. I like the fact that she's not 100% a nice person, like everyone else on the show is, and that she's quite flawed. To me, it's interesting, but you'd have to tone it down a bit to make her part of the team. I doubt it'd be a full on military role but she seems to have a lot of knowledge from her travels, and a lot of questionable alliances that might help the team.

LOL--I don't know if this makes any sense, but I'm thinking a non-murderous, funnier Krycek. You never quite knew what side he was on, yet his efforts could easily be interpreted as being helpful to Mulder's cause on many an occasion. (from The Xfiles for those of you who weren't fans).

Forgot to add--no, I don't want her to "replace" an existing character.

[esoap524]

I'm also a big Carter fan and I don't have a problem if Sam and Vala are on the show at the same time. It might be fun if Vala stops all the tired innuendos and shows some maturity. These two characters could keep the boys on their toes. I thought Beachhead had some good moments; Vala wasn’t over the top, but still funny and showed some development. So I'm okay if Vala is there in small doses, but never EVER as a regular or a replacement!

I'm a big proponent of the Sam/Vala angle. It's like someone else said --The Odd Couple. Vala needs to grow up and Sam needs to loosen up so it might be sort of fun to watch. Plus, like you said, they could give the guys a run for their money! I like the fact that the actresses and the characters are so different from each other. --it'd be kinda funny to see something where there's body switching, CB playing Sam and AT playing Vala (I know, it's stupid, but it amuses me to no end).

ETA: I read a post where someone proposed replacing Carter? Claudia Black is one of my favorite actresses but I would never buy into that idea. What, isn't there enough room in the SGC for TWO dynamic females? Sheesh.

[Piratejenna]

I'm a big proponent of the Sam/Vala angle. It's like someone else said --The Odd Couple. Vala needs to grow up and Sam needs to loosen up so it might be sort of fun to watch. Plus, like you said, they could give the guys a run for their money! I like the fact that the actresses and the characters are so different from each other. --it'd be kinda funny to see something where there's body switching, CB playing Sam and AT playing Vala (I know, it's stupid, but it amuses me to no end).

ETA: I read a post where someone proposed replacing Carter? Claudia Black is one of my favorite actresses but I would never buy into that idea. What, isn't there enough room in the SGC for TWO dynamic females? Sheesh.

Hear Hear! The whole Sam versus Vala thing drives me mad - the answer is BOTH! The fact that SG-1 has only one woman has always been something which unbalanced the dynamics.

I've been thinking about the issue of whether Vala could ever be a true part of the team. My take on it is this. When SG-1 started, it was a fairly simple premise of a '4-person team which goes through the gate and has adventures on alien worlds'. But over the years the show has evolved. The Stargate universe has become more complex and the storytelling more sophisticated. And that reflects the fact that audiences, and TV in general, are more sophisticated. People now expect interwoven plot-lines and story arcs and large ensemble casts. One reason SG-1 has survived so long is because it grew up with it's audience. However nostalgic we may be for the simpler days of team adventures and unambiguous heroes, if the writers tried to go back there, we would get frustrated. Vala has to fit into the Stargate team of now, not the one that existed in season 1.

Some people argue that Vala could never be part of a military team, and in a sense they're right (although if we're being strictly realistic, by that standard Teal'c could never have joined. Would the USAF really 'adopt' an enemy deserter so quickly?). I think the perfect scenario for Vala would be in a 5-person team, where she is always slightly the outsider, but goes along as a 'native guide' in the chaotic post-Goa'uld galaxy. They actually had the perfect set-up in Beachhead, but ruined it by beating us over the head with it and sacrificing character psychology in order to force the plot. But there's a lot of scope for a more subtle version of that dynamic. Vala WANTS to belong - she's lonely and enjoys their company. And there's a part of her that wants to do the right thing - perhaps partly to make amends for her Goa'uld past, but also because she has every reason to hate the Ori. On the other hand, psychologically she's not a team player - she's a little crazy, fiercely independent and insubordinate. That's what makes her so interesting when she interacts with the others. The rest of the team would start to value her experience and intuition, and might even become fond of her, but there would always be that edge of wondering what she was going to do next, and whether they could really trust her. Stargate shouldn't be too cosy, and Vala injects a bit of grit into the otherwise well-oiled machine of SG-1.

Sorry - another painfully long post! Brevity is not my forte...

[Dr Weir]

I definitly want to see her as part of the team, she can replace Micthell and Sam can be in charge. She was so funny and it was interesting to learn about her past and it would be nice to have more than 1 woman in sg1. I haven't seen Babylon yet because I'm lazy, but Sam did a good job deciding what sg1 should do without much input from Mitchell.

[esoap524]

I think the perfect scenario for Vala would be in a 5-person team, where she is always slightly the outsider, but goes along as a 'native guide' in the chaotic post-Goa'uld galaxy. They actually had the perfect set-up in Beachhead, but ruined it by beating us over the head with it and sacrificing character psychology in order to force the plot. But there's a lot of scope for a more subtle version of that dynamic. Vala WANTS to belong - she's lonely and enjoys their company. And there's a part of her that wants to do the right thing - perhaps partly to make amends for her Goa'uld past, but also because she has every reason to hate the Ori. On the other hand, psychologically she's not a team player - she's a little crazy, fiercely independent and insubordinate. That's what makes her so interesting when she interacts with the others. The rest of the team would start to value her experience and intuition, and might even become fond of her, but there would always be that edge of wondering what she was going to do next, and whether they could really trust her. Stargate shouldn't be too cosy, and Vala injects a bit of grit into the otherwise well-oiled machine of SG-1.

Sorry - another painfully long post! Brevity is not my forte...

It's okay because what you said makes sense! LOL. I agree with your take on Vala wanting to belong--it was very evident in Beachead. Although it was played for some laughs, and rightfully so because I don't see Vala as the type to wear her vulnerability on her sleeve, you could see that Vala was feeling left out. She also tried to behave a bit (for her) in the presence of Carter whom she knew she couldn't manipulate or fool with.

I think "subtlety" is the key and having seen Claudia Black play subtle as Aeryn Sun, I'm convinced that it can be done with Vala, and still retain the core of the character's independence.

...if that goofy Crusade storyline doesn't mess with that dynamic!

[Carterslave]

the perfect scenario for Vala would be in a 5-person team, where she is always slightly the outsider, but goes along as a 'native guide' in the chaotic post-Goa'uld galaxy.
Vala WANTS to belong - she's lonely and enjoys their company. And there's a part of her that wants to do the right thing - perhaps partly to make amends for her Goa'uld past, but also because she has every reason to hate the Ori. On the other hand, psychologically she's not a team player - she's a little crazy, fiercely independent and insubordinate. That's what makes her so interesting when she interacts with the others. The rest of the team would start to value her experience and intuition, and might even become fond of her, but there would always be that edge of wondering what she was going to do next, and whether they could really trust her.

They had a chance to do something very much like this with Jonas, who—as written in Meridian—was not exactly someone you'd trust with your life savings. Unfortunately, between the end of S5 and the beginning of S6, there was apparently a failure of either nerve or imagination, and a much blander iteration of Jonas supplanted the somewhat opportunistic character we had seen in S5. A promising new face was thereby scuppered.

The challenge for the writers, if the budget would even accomodate yet another regular, would be to not let history repeat itself: have a Vala who retains her unpredictability and doesn't have her edges smoothed off. One thing I could do with less of is the incessant innuendo. Robert C. Cooper thinks he is penning Sophisticated Sexual Banter, but most of it sounds like stuff we outgrew in college. Claudia Black can give a convincing flourish to bad dialogue, but why continue to encumber her?

[Lord Zedd]

Damn I have allready voted at this poll I really hope Vala could become a member of SG.1. Imagine the funny things that could happen between Vala and Daniel